Petworth Cottage Museum
The First Twenty Years
In 2016 we were able to stage an exhibition to celebrate twenty years of the museum. Extracted from the Petworth Society's scrapbooks of cuttings, the pictures and transcripts collected here occupied three sides of the exhibition hall. Five years on we cannot stage another physical exhibition but we can show these cuttings here. Unless otherwise stated the cuttings are all from the Midhurst & Petworth Observer. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
30 New
guidebook marks out special season at museum
15th April 2010
Petworth Cottage Museum has opened for its 15th year with a new-look guidebook for a special season. For 100 years have theoretically passed in the home of seamstress Mary Cummings where time stands still at 1910. The brainchild of Ann Bradley, the museum at 346 High Street was set up to give visitors an insight into how Leconfield Estate employees lived a century ago. The home of Mary Cummings until 1930, it is still gas-lit, furnished and fitted out with all the things she might have had around her. All the details are carefully chronicled in the guide book which was first produced two years after the museum opened. Written by Petworth Cottage Museum Trust's chairman peter Jerrome, although the text remains largely unchanged, this is the third time it has been revamped: “But this is the most dramatic overhaul to date,” he said. It was undertaken by Petworth book designer Jonathan Newdick who is currently preparing for an exhibition of his drawings at Petworth House in August. The cover photograph has been replaced by a unique postcard dating back to 1905. “the postcard shows the way up High Street to the museum at the top of the street - it is actually a landscape photograph, but it has been cropped in a way to suggest the route up to the museum,” said Mr. Jerrome. The more we looked at it, the more we became convinced the scene was specially set up.” Inside the guidebook many new photographs appear alongside the old favourites, including Agnes Phelan, now 101, who visited the house and tells how it looked after the first world war. Mr. Jerrome said the trust was always interested to hear from anyone who would like to volunteer as a steward during the season. “We like to think the stewards enjoy looking after the visitors ,” he said. Anyone who would like to volunteer should contact Mr. Jerrome on 01798 342562. The Cottage Museum is open until the end of October from Tuesday to Saturday, 2pm-4.30pm.
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