Exhibitions

Lest We Forget

17 October - 21 December 2008

The guns fell silent on the Western Front on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918. This year marks the 90th anniversary of a day which continues to be commemorated in many countries. This exhibition looks back on the origins of Remembrance Day and brings to attention the memorials in the Borough.

Events

Sunday 5 October
12noon - 4pm
Investigate the history and meaning of African masks and create your own mask (based on a character from one of the stories you'll hear or from your own imagination).
A Big Draw and Black History Month activity with Josephine Regis. Free drop in for all ages.

Saturday 11 October
11am - 4pm
Apple Day is back! A hugely popular day in which you can discover your local varieties of apples, and find delicious apples to sample and buy. Suggested donation of  £1 for adults, children free.

Sunday 19 October
12noon - 4pm
Become an Inventor. In celebration of Black History Month and The Big Draw, Josephine Regis will look at the story of prominent Black Inventors and other individuals who have left a significant historical footprint. Children will be encouraged to consider the individual contributions they could make in the form of an invention and illustrate these ideas in a creative way. Free drop in.

Sunday 2 November
12noon-4pm
Find out how First World War posters were designed to influence people. Design your own poster to change people's minds about something you care about. With artist Wendy Charlton.

Sunday 16 November
12noon-4pm
Hear stories about the First World War and the meaning of the poppy on Remembrance Day.  Make your own Remembrance Day cards using paper craft or printing techniques. With artist Josephine Regis.

Sunday 30 November
12noon - 4pm
Find out about the various countries involved in the First World War and use this knowledge to decorate model aeroplanes.  With Josephine Regis.

Sunday 14 December
12noon - 4pm
What kind of sweets did Victorian children eat?  What is the history behind some of the sweets and chocolates we eat today? Come along to The Vestry House Museum and join Brenda Coyle in creating some scrumptious Victorian delights.  Make and decorate your own ‘sweet box’ to take them all home in.

The Stars of Vestry House Museum

Vestry House Museum holds a wide range of objects that are on long term display. Find out more about the most important and most popular items by following the links below.

The workhouse garden and function room

As part of a visit to the Museum you can enjoy a walk through our workhouse garden, which displays plants known to be grown here by the workhouse inmates in the eighteenth century. You can also take a stroll through our flower, herb and object gardens.

We have an active volunteer group which maintains the garden. Please contact the museum if you would like to help.

You may wish to consider booking the Function Room to hold your meetings and events.

The Bremer car

The main individual exhibit is the Bremer car, built by Frederick Bremer in 1892, and one of the claimants to being the oldest British-built petrol driven car.

Victorian parlour

One of the rooms at the museum has been set up to reconstruct a typical local parlour from about 1890.

Walthamstow tea service

Little is known about the origins of this set of cups, saucers and bowls other than it was produced in the 1820's for a local well-to-do family. Many of the items depict local houses and because of this it has become known as the Walthamstow Tea Service. A selection from the set is permanently on display.

The police cell

As Vestry House once housed a police station the museum has made use of this in its exhibitions. One of the cells still exists with its original bench and toilet and in this area we have recreated a scene from April 1861. We know that on this evening Sgt. Charles Carpenter was on duty whilst James Wright, a local labourer, had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly. During a visit you may be "lucky" enough to experience the fate of James Wright by being locked in the cell.

Domestic life

The Domestic Life gallery looks at utensils used for washing, ironing, cooking and for serving food during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Toys and games

The Toys and Games gallery looks at typical toys that were being played with or manufactured in Waltham Forest during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Costume

The Costume gallery contains examples of clothing from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries including a Georgian dress, a Victorian wedding dress and a Second World War wedding dress. Within the gallery there is also a display about making and repairing clothing.

Made in Waltham Forest

This gallery looks at local companies and industries that have left their mark on the borough during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. On display are plastic items made by Halex, cameras made by Ensign, toys made by Britains and hand carts made by Abbotts.

Wooden panelling

In the costume gallery is a wonderful example of wood panelling. This sixteenth century panelling, including the fire place, was removed from Essex Hall during its demolition in 1933 and placed into the museum.