Wandsworth’s New Museum

I arrived at the future Wandsworth Museum in the late afternoon in early March.

The museum looked more like a packing warehouse than a museum with boxes piled high in all the rooms. There were remnants of the past usage of the building as a library in the form of storage trolleys and bookcases. I met Andrew Leitch, the Museum Director, who showed me round the building, starting in the cellar.

I spotted all sorts of fascinating items on the shelves and in corners waiting to be listed and put on display; old gas cookers, doll’s houses, tennis racquets, prams. old medical boxes, diaries, ration books - an endless collection of memorabilia and artefacts, all telling their own story of past lives and old technology. Andrew handled each item with loving care as he showed it to me and explained the history of each piece with affection. We chatted to Caroline James, who at that particular moment was archiving a collection of Victorian children’s shoes and beautiful Edwardian fans and listing them meticulously.

Climbing the stairs to what will be the main display room, we found a huge map of the area of Wandsworth laid out on the floor and put together by Andrew from sections to show Wandsworth and the surrounding district as it was in 1880 from the Stafford Map. ‘We take this to schools,’ said Andrew, ‘so that they can visualize Wandsworth as it was 130 year ago.’ I was able to see where my road had its origins from the ancient footpaths and field layout A cup of tea arrived and we settled down in the part of the museum that is going to be a refreshment room . ‘Part café and part museum,’ explained Andrew. ‘In one corner we will have a display of an old fashioned kitchen in another there will be a Victorian chemist’s shop.’ He is planning a giant mobile that will feature photos of members of the public - modern and historic. ‘We are going to have a photo booth in the centre of Wandsworth where members of the public will have their photos taken - this will contribute to the giant mobile in the café.’

A door from the café will lead out to a herb garden which will feature a selection of old-fashioned plants including madder, the dye from which coloured the red coats of the British army for generations. The other side of the café will lead out to a classroom garden that will have the theme of a monastery garden.

‘How are you going to fund the museum?’ I asked. ‘Keeping a small museum open is no small job. A couple of museums close in GB each month,’ said Andrew. ‘Unfortunately we are going to have to charge visitors for entry but our main source of income will be from people joining as Friends so that they feel an affinity to the place and they can visit when ever they choose without the trouble of paying on the door. Wandsworth Council have also been very supportive,’ he explained. ‘We have been given the property rent-free for the first five years which saves us a huge amount in rent – but we still have to pay rates and heating.

The museum has had considerable support from other museums. For example the V&A contributed some valuable storage boxes, almost for nothing, that were used to transport Leonardo’s drawings and paintings for a recent V&A exhibition. Possibly the most significant financial support came from local philanthropists Dorothy and Michael Hintse. They had been in the habit of contributing to national museums and galleries for some time when it occurred to them that they could make a valuable contribution to a local project. ‘They live in Battersea,’ said Andrew, ‘so they decided to make a bequest to our local museum – they are the main financial benefactors, who made the whole thing possible.’

Andrew has a vast amount of experience from a life-time working at many of the top museums including the Science Museum and as curator of the Canadian Collection so he is bringing a vast source of experience to Wandsworth Museum.

The offers of helpers for the museum have come from many quarters and have helped bring the museum back to life – phoenix-like. Wandsworth has a rich historic tradition - there are local finds that are traced to Neolithic times and the Romans had an active port on this part of the river. ‘It is our job to keep this cultural tradition alive into the twenty first century and beyond,’ promises Andrew.

The museum will open 3 September – watch this space.