The Gallery by the Sea

Pakefield Postcard Auction
in aid of
Lowestoft Museum
www.lowestoftmuseum.org
 info@lowestoftmuseum.org
 

This year Lowestoft Museum is celebrating its 50th year, having been founded in 1972 at ‘The Prairie’ in the town centre by members of the Lowestoft Archaeological and Local History Society. In 1985 the Museum moved to Broad House, Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad and was opened there by Her Majesty The Queen in the August of that year.

 

The museum is run entirely by volunteers and is open from Easter until the end of October: entrance is free and income is derived from donations given by visitors and profits from the small shop. Volunteers are supported by Oulton Broad Parish Council, Lowestoft Town Council, East Suffolk Council and The Association for Suffolk Museums. 

It is a registered charity and an Accredited Museum under the Arts Council scheme.

 

The Museum displays reflect the history of the area, and includes a large collection of 18th century Lowestoft Porcelain, a proportion of which is on loan from Lowestoft Town Council. A recent grant from the Victoria and Albert Museum has facilitated the purchase of additional rare and interesting items. There is a fine collection of local pictures, archaeological treasures, displays tracing the stories of local industries and people. This year there will be an exhibition loaned by the British Museum entitled ‘The Somerleyton Hoard’, which consists of Bronze Age weapons and tools found in 1926 and never previously publicly displayed.

 

Over the years the average number of visitors each season is around 9000, of whom about a fifth are children. The Museum has always engaged with local organisations, welcoming visits from schools and a wide variety of groups. A large new room in the building has been set aside to provide a dedicated space for educational and community events. During the closed season volunteers have worked towards getting ready for its opening, and need funds to provide seating and audio-visual equipment to complete this exciting new project.