We’re currently utilising Ripley Library’s community display case to showcase a selection of items from our collection. It’s a great opportunity to get objects out on display outside the museum to provide interest, whilst hopefully also encouraging people to visit.
Three shelves in the case represent the artistic and decorative side of trams with images of decorated trams, elaborate glass lightshades and even a teapot shaped like a Blackpool tram! The final shelf introduces the role of women on the tramways during the First World War, including several photographs of female tram crew and a hat worn by a ‘Clippie’.
The display has been up in Ripley Library since June 1st and will finish on June 30th to make way for the next organisation to use.
The display case in Ripley Library featuring a small selection of museum objects and photographs from Crich Tramway (photo: J Huddlestone).
If you’d like to see more examples of artistic and decorative items from our collection, you can see a selection on display in our current exhibition at Crich – the ‘Art of Trams’ – which is located in the space behind the Derby Assembly Rooms facade. For this exhibition we have picked objects in our collection which reflect some of the ways trams have appeared in different areas of popular culture, and the ways artists have depicted them. We have picked artwork to showcase different artistic techniques and styles such as drawings, prints, cartoons and paintings. Over the years, a wide variety of commercial products have been produced with a tram theme. Items on display include ceramics, board games, vinyl records, greetings cards, biscuit tins and other objects that have been collected over the decades by tram enthusiasts. We have also included more functional items with decorative styles such as tramcar lampshades, seating designs, technical drawings and staff certificates. There is also a selection of posters advertising tramway services, which were designed by commercial artists.
The ‘Art of Trams’ exhibition currently at Crich Tramway Village (photo: R Morris).
‘The Art of Trams’ gives an insight into the visual history of tramways and is an opportunity for us to show some of the wonderful items that have been donated to the Museum over the years. This exhibition will be up for the rest of 2023 and also during 2024, so come and take a look!