Salisbury Museum will be marking our 150th anniversary with a major exhibition, Made in 1860, over the summer of 2010. This exhibition will be a celebration of what the museum is known for, our amazing archaeological and historic collections. It will also reveal some of the untold stories behind many of the people who have helped make the museum what it is today.

The formation of the museum was based on the Drainage Collection – a group of finds from the medieval water channels that used to run through the streets of Salisbury. These channels were replaced with sewers in the 1850s, and it was during these excavations that hundreds of everyday objects lost by local residents and visitors to Salisbury in medieval times were found.

Previously when archaeological discoveries had been made in Salisbury the finds went to other institutions, such as the British Museum. However when the Drainage Collection was found a group of local gentleman, led by Dr Richard Fowler, resolved to purchase the finds with the purpose of setting up a museum. The first meeting of the Museum Committee was held in July 1860 and the first public exhibition of the museum’s collection was in a room at the Market House in June 1861. The museum moved to new premises in St Anne Street in 1864.

Made in 1860 will consist of 150 objects, each one representing a year from the museum’s history. Objects never seen before in Salisbury will include items from the Salisbury Hoard, one of the most important Bronze and Iron Age hoards found in the UK (on loan from the British Museum). For the first time we will also reveal the story of the scandalous death of millionaire co-founder William Blackmore, and how the same local family ran the museum for over ninety years!

The museum is also planning other events to coincide with the celebration. These include an archaeology conference over the weekend of 2-3rd October, a major celebration coinciding with the Festival of British Archaeology on 17th July and outreach initiatives with local community and archaeology groups.