The Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery, Bangor and the Lloyd George Museum, Llanystumdwy is partnering BBC Cymru Wales as part of a pan-BBC project to tell the story of A History of the World through the objects humans left behind.
Both of the museums have added artefacts to the electronic collection. They can be found on the Wales section of the new website bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld which aims to create a unique digital museum online.
One of the objects the Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery, Bangor has included is a Russian Passport belonging to Philip Pollecoff. The passport reflects the story of a large number of Jews immigrating to the UK and US during the late 1800s, fleeing persecution from Russia and searching for better opportunities.
The other object is a Red Cross armband belonging to John Williams Hughes who, worked with the Red Cross in Spain as part of the Welsh Ambulance Unit during the Spanish Civil War (1936 –1939). As a journalist, he also reported on events from Guernica and Madrid and on his return continued to use images by children of the atrocities of Guernica to campaign against Franco’s regime.
Of these objects tell the story of world events that changed people’s lives for ever.
Esther Roberts, Curator of Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery, Bangor said: “It was very difficult to choose just two objects to be a part of the collection as so many of the objects in the collections at the Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery have a story relating to the wider world that could be told.
“Although we have only chosen two objects which will be a part of the TV series, we will be adding more to the digital museum. It is a great way of publicising the truly remarkable collections we have here in Gwynedd,” she added.
The Lloyd George Museum, Llanystumdwy has included the former Prime Minister’s personal copy of the draft World War I Peace Treaty which was completed by 5 May, 1919. The final version was signed in Versailles, Paris, on 28 June. David Lloyd George was Prime Minister at the time and played a vital role in leading Britain during World War I and in the negotiations which led to the subsequent peace treaty.
Nêst Thomas, Gwynedd Council Museums & Galleries Officer noted: “Lloyd George wanted a moderate and durable settlement and he predicted that this treaty would sow the seeds of future conflict. It is just one of many objects and documents we have at the Museum that have played their part in changing people’s lives.“
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.
Nia Roberts programme on BBC Radio Cymru will feature regular updates on some of the website artefacts while 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.
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.
The Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery, Bangor is open 12.30pm to 4.30pm on Tuesdays – Fridays and on Saturdays from 10.30am to 4.30pm. For more information, contact [email protected] or call
01248 353 368
The Lloyd George Museum, Llanystumdwy is open over Easter from 10.30am to 5pm. Contact the Museum on 01766 522071.
