York Museums Trust Blog

Fiction in museums?  Surely not.  But they can be a source of inspiration – and we have a few recent examples to prove it. 

Last year Tracey Chevalier curated an exhibition at York Art Gallery and used it to stimulate all sorts of literary activity in a wide range of folk, including some of YMT’s own staff. 

In November Kate Atkinson wrote in The Guardian, talking about the Castle Museum:

“The museum was a place of miracles and wonders for me, where the rooms and streets of the past were brought to life in a way that was (and still is) thrilling. My imagination was undoubtedly nurtured by those visits; in fact I am sure that they helped to build the foundations of my becoming a writer.” (full story)

And the wider community of bloggers and online writers are following suit – here, for example, is a story for kids that uses the museum as a backdrop.  So if you want to get over your writer’s block perhaps you should get along to your local museum.

by John Storey after Nathaniel Whittock

This is a large coloured lithograph showing York as it apparently appeared in the mid-19th century. The level of minute detail is impressive (click on the picture for a better look), down to boats moored on the river bank and people walking in the Museum Gardens. It is fascinating to look at the way York has changed, particularly the railway station, which was originally inside the city walls.

I could study it for hours – it is well worth a look in the flesh.  The lithograph can be seen in the exhibition “A Different View” in the Little Gallery at the Art Gallery until July 2009. 

Info by Jenny, reference R1946