About Garden City Collection
The Garden City Collection is currently closed during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Furthermore the museum team are now on furlough so we will not be able to respond to any queries or comments to any (pre-scheduled) content posted here until we return)
Garden City Collection Description
We tell the story of the Garden City Movement and the history of Letchworth, the world’s first Garden City.
Our collection and archive is housed in our Study Centre and features in exhibitions around the town, on our website and by our Store Tours or Collections Explorer sessions.
Reviews
This car may have been made by the Ascot Car Company here in Letchworth Garden City. Although car manufacturers have now left the town interestingly they are commemorated in some of our road names. #HertsBedsHeritage #Cars http://www.gardencitycollection.com/objec t-121-13
It's the last day of our #MuseumAlphabet and Z is for... Zeppelins! #LetchworthGardenCity witnessed two zeppelin raids in the space of just over 24 hours in October 1916. One of them then crashed down in Cuffley, where these chaps are picking over the wreckage.
This image shows Phoenix motor cars being built. The Phoenix Motor Company manufactured in #Letchworth until the 1920s. The factory was later used by Arab Motors and then the Ascot Car Company. #HertsBedsHeritage #Cars http://www.gardencitycollection.com/objec t-121-4
Day 25 of our #MuseumAlphabet and Y is for... Young's Pinello - #LetchworthGardenCity's own apple variety! It was developed in the 1930s by #Letchworth resident, Eva Young - wearer of this rather fetching hat - as firm, aromatic, sweet-tasting! #MuseumAtHome #ClosedButOpen
Pesilo (scales) are being used here to weigh blocks of margarine from Letchworth's Golden Block Company. #EsperantoWOTW http://www.gardencitycollection.com/objec t-lbm4081-3-16 #MuseumAtHome #ClosedButOpen
Day 24 of our #MuseumAlphabet & we know you’ve all been wondering what there could possibly be for X!?!... *warning: it’s a bit of a cheat*… X marks the spot!! Parker & Unwin oriented their whole master plan around these 3 oak trees, on Broadway Gardens (2 of which survive!)
Day 23 of our #MuseumAlphabet and W is for... W Webb, an early Letchworth Garden City ‘pioneer’ citizen, he was inspired to move to the town in 1905 after hearing Ebenezer Howard give a lecture in London! Very dapper he looks in this F S Ogilvie oil portrait too! 🧔👔
Day 22 of our #MuseumAlphabet and V is for... Vegetarians! Letchworth has been home to vegetarians from day one. Pictured is the Letchworth Vegetarian Society dining together at The People’s House in c1930. Wonder what was on that menu... 🤔#MuseumAtHome #ClosedButOpen
Letchworth's Foster Instrument Company specialised in the manufacture of measurement equipment but they also dabbled (with less success!) in car production! #HertsBedsHeritage #Cars http://www.gardencitycollection.com/objec t-2004-64-14
Day 21 of our #MuseumAlphabet and U is for... Raymond Unwin. Alongside Barry Parker, he designed the master plan for #LetchworthGardenCity and many of its houses. He left to work on Hampstead & later influenced the design of millions of council housing homes!
Easter is associated with new life and beginnings, with the humble egg being a perfect example of this. 🐣
We have a lovely papier mache example here, found amongst a large donation of items from a family who came to #Letchworth from Austria during #WW2, the Kahn's. Primarily found in Germany, these #EasterEggs were filled with Easter treats like chocolates or small toys to delight children. #Easter2020
Day 20 of our #MuseumAlphabet and T is for... Tree-lined Streets! Each street in Letchworth Garden City was lined with a different species of tree 🌳 Pictured are Almond Blossoms on Icknield Way! #MuseumAtHome # ClosedButOpen
There’s nothing like the power of music to transport us back in time. Building a soundtrack and discovering the memories associated with each song is also a wonderful way to connect with family and friends. This website has practical tips on how to create playlists for loved ones. https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/connec tthroughmusic/
#sharingmemories #reminiscence #closedbutopen
Our #MuseumAlphabet today is S for... The Skittles Inn & built in 1907 as Letchworth Garden City’s famous ‘pub with no beer’. It's now home to Letchworth Settlement - a thriving adult education/arts hub - also celebrating its centenary this year! #MuseumAtHome #ClosedButOpen
Borg Warner were based in #LetchworthGardenCity and mass produced automatic gearboxes for mainstream vehicles such as these Ford Cortinas. #HertsBedsHeritage #Cars http://www.gardencitycollection.com/objec t-588-255
This biplane image dates to c1908 & for reasons still unexplained, it appears to have landed at #Letchworth's Roman camp?! Does anyone recognise the plane model?
Don't forget to also check out St Albans Museums Handley Page exhibition! https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/…/ex hibitio…/handley-page #FlightLanding #LocalMuseumsUnite
To continue your journey of reminisce at home, we highly recommend the My House of Memories app, produced by the National Museums Liverpool. It has objects from across the decades, which are brought to life with sound, music and descriptions, it can be used by anyone but has been designed for, and with, people living with dementia and their carers. https://www.houseofmemories.co.uk/…/my- house-of-memories-a…/
#sharingmemories #reminiscence #closedbutopen