1941: Following a Ministry of Home Security circular on the carrying of gas masks, a Mrs Mellows organised four lectures aimed principally at housewives of active servicemen, on how to handle a gas situation. The second talk was held on this day. Each lecture covered: latest information about gas attacks; first aid for gas casualties; how to protect yourself and dealing with incendiary bombs and fires. All lectures were very well attended. (Gray, David, Peterborough at War 1939-1945, David Gray, 2011)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.
Upon The Infirmary's move to the newly completed Memorial Hospital in 1928 the Infirmary building was acquired by Percy Malcolm Stewart, Chair of the London Brick Company, who donated it to the Museum Society (at that time the Natural History, Scientific and Archaeological Society) to house their collection.
It was opened as a museum in 1931, with the art gallery added in 1939.
The Museum and its collections have been owned by the Council since 1968, when the Museum Society gave them to the city.
In May 2010, management of the building and its collections was taken over by Vivacity and in 2020 it passed to City Culture Peterborough.
As an aside, the museum is reputed to be the most haunted building in Peterborough, with its most famous ghost being that of Sgt Thomas Hunter, 'The Lonely ANZAC'.
What is now known as the Museum Society was founded in 1871 as the Peterborough Natural History Society and Field Club. Over the next ten years it widened its interests and became the Natural History, Scientific, and Archaeological Society. The collection gathered by the society was the foundation of Peterborough Museum’s collection which opened in 1931. The Society assumed its present name in 1947 and in 1968 the museum housed in the Priestgate building was presented to the city of Peterborough. The Museum Society remains active and meets at the museum on alternate Tuesdays during the winter for lectures covering its wide interests: local history and archaeology; conservation and natural history; literature and fine arts.
References:
Peterborough Museum
Picture:
Part of the museum's natural history collection
What is now known as the Museum Society was founded in 1871 as the Peter…