It is not only the inside of the museum that is being refurbished, the outside is also undergoing a few changes too. The planting has been restored to the original 1934 scheme and the original entrance into the museum has been reinstated.
The front door onto Lensfield Road open for the first time since 1967.
Rehanging the restored front gates, 5 May 2010
The gates had to go off site to a company called Rupert Harris to be restored as they had not been opened since 1968 and the locks were rusted shut. The posts were restored in situ.
We have had a number of companies on site this week putting the final touches to our external objects.
SPRI has a comprehensive archive of documents and objects relating to the whaling industry. For at least the last 25 years the whaling gun and trypot have been outside the museum in all sorts of weather and therefore needed a little wash and brush up.
Final touches to the whaling gun.
Having a bath in the trypot, formerly used to render blubber.
By removing old paint and corrosion, the objects can be treated with a corrosion inhibitor and then painted. This gives the objects protection against the elements, and they can happily live outside for another 25 years.
