The BBC and the British Museum have launched A History of the World in 100 Objects, a special national project for 2010 – and Wrexham is part of it!
A History of the World is part of a pan-BBC project to tell the story of A History of the World through the objects humans left behind. Each of the 100 episodes in the Radio 4 series focuses on a different object from the British Museum’s collection. So where does Wrexham fit in?
As an extension of the project, the BBC have asked museums throughout the UK to put forward a number of objects that they feel would represent the history of their country. Fifty objects have been chosen and two have come from Wrexham.
The first object is a Boring Bar from Bersham Heritage Centre. The object dates back to 1775 and was the revolutionary invention of John Wilkinson – a leading figure of the industrial revolution and original owner of Berhsam Ironworks. The Boring Bar meant that iron cannon could be cast without imperfections and, therefore, weaknesses.
Secondly, BBC Wales chose a lager bottle from the Wrexham Lager brand. The chosen bottle is from the 1880s, the decade that Wrexham Lager was founded and its brewery was the first successful brewery in Britain.
As well as visiting the museum to see the objects for yourself, you can get involved in the BBC’s A History of the World project in several ways:
BBC Cymru Wales will be broadcasting a new series Wales and the History of the World, presented by rugby broadcaster and journalist Eddie Butler, telling the story of Wales’ influence on the world and the world’s influence on Wales through some museum artefacts. The programme, which will air in the spring, covers the themes of Welsh “firsts”, trade and industry, conflict, and identity and belief.
Roy Noble’s programme on BBC Radio Wales will also be taking a look at some of the best Welsh objects periodically from now until the spring while Nia Roberts programme on BBC Radio Cymru will feature regular updates on some of the website artefacts and some of the listeners’ objects for five weeks from Monday January 25.
As well as browsing the various objects on the website, bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld, everyone in Wales can also upload their own treasures to help build the digital museum.
Clare Hudson, acting Director of BBC Wales, said she hoped people would visit some of the museums to see the website objects close at hand, but also think about what articles they may have at home to upload to tell a story related to the history of the world.
“This is an opportunity to help create a unique digital museum, where not just the famous objects that have imparted their knowledge to us, but also those very personal things kept at home or in the attic which still have a story to tell, can take their place,” she said.
More information on this BBC project is available at www.bbc.co.uk and more information Wrexham’s two chosen objects is available from Wrexham Museum on 01978 297488.
