the museum of making
The Museum of Making, formerly known as the Derby Industrial Museum, is located in the center of Derby, England. It is a designated World Heritage Site, housed in the old Derby Silk Mill at the southern end of the Derwent Valley Mills. This interactive museum highlights all things handcrafted and handmade, from looms, to ironworks, to jet engines. It’s an ideal family or school destination as there is no entrance fee, and since it provides enough interest to engage visitors for several hours, the museum also hosts a small cafe and shop for browsing alongside all the artifacts.
Rolls Royce Trent 1000 jet engine, suspended from the ceiling in the museum’s entryway.room.
Bright Ideas Nottingham (a social enterprise that engages with people Be prepared for a unique feast for the eyes! There are plenty of items on view in this beautiful museum that highlight the area's rich history in silk creation, steam trains, airplane creation, and more. Many of the exhibits incorporate interactive areas, so there will be plenty of opportunities to engage in hands-on learning. Upon entering, guests are prompted to look high over their heads, where a dismantled Toyota Corolla and a Rolls Royce Trent 1000 jet engine are suspended. These are two mechanical creations made in the Derby area.
The names and ages of women and girls who were enslaved on plantations in North America: their work involved picking cotton which was exported to mills in the United Kingdom.
The current featured installation, ‘Standing In This Place’ aims to focus especially on “the contributions and connections between white mill workers and Black enslaved women uprooted to the Americas, showing how their stories and histories are connected by cotton, sorrow, strength, and resilience”[1]. This project is co-created by sculptor Rachel Carter as a response to the project, Legacy Makers, by to bring about changes in their community). This installation highlights the importance of “thinking about who is and should be remembered while bringing to attention that less than 5% of statues in the UK portray non-royal women.”[2]
This installation runs until January 2024, and is phase two of the project. The final phase will include the creation of a large bronze statue in Nottingham City Center, depicting a white mill worker/lace worker and Black enslaved woman.
Display case in the Assemblage at The Museum Of Making, Derby
Another area of note in this museum is the Assemblage, a room filled to the rafters with all kinds of handmade items! Some wonderful photo opportunities exist here, for sure! This area is organized by material, with different areas dedicated to pieces made from wood, metal, ceramics, and organic materials. Imagine a space filled with everything from chimneys, to rail signage, to glass bottles, and clothes and furniture made from organic fibers, all made in the Derbyshire area!
The cast iron Victorian pillar box was created sometime between 1887 and 1901 by the Derby firm Andrew Handyside & Co. Handyside was a prolific manufacturer of post boxes and many of the castings can be still seen today on pavements and within walls across the UK.
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Humans are creators by nature. We love to experiment, to produce and to make! In fact, the inventor of the original American hot dog was actually an Englishman, from Derby. Depending on your taste, you’ll be sad/happy to discover that hot dogs are not on the café menu, however!
Visit the museum’s website for opening hours and more information:
[1]https://derbymuseums.org/event/standing-in-this-place-installation-at-the-museum-of-making
[2] https://derbymuseums.org/event/standing-in-this-place-installation-at-the-museum-of-making