Nestled on the bustling Leeming Street in the heart of town, the unassuming Mansfield Museum is easy to walk past. However, don't be fooled - inside is a treasure trove of unique artefacts, fantastic exhibitions, and local history.
Exhibitions in the Museum come and go regularly: at the moment, they have a striking display about tattooing. The exhibition navigates between both traditional and modern tattooing, and showcases it as a true artform in a way that is rarely seen. I was particularly drawn to the information about Western Traditional tattooing: the iconic style that originated in American tattoo parlours in the 19th century, with classic motifs such as anchors, swallows and roses. On the other hand, there were also many examples of modern tattoo styles, concluding with a display of images showcasing the body art of local Mansfield residents. The exhibition runs until the 29th of March 2025, and is a fantastic study of an incredibly interesting tradition and art form.
A section that I was less enthusiastic about was the World of Birds permanent display. This collection of 600 taxidermized birds is undeniably impressive, and features many rare and endangered species - some of which have since gone extinct. The birds were donated by Joseph Whitaker, a Nottinghamshire naturalist, upon his death in 1932. Highlights of the collection include the first known Egyptian nightjar sighted in the UK, which was shot in the nearby Thieves' Wood by Whitaker's gamekeeper in 1883, then stuffed. But despite these facts, I didn't like the exhibition - I just feel that there's something strangely morbid about taxidermy. The birds are in incredibly lifelike positions, and to me it almost felt as if they were watching me out of their glassy eyes. The World of Birds display would definitely interest anybody with an appreciation of the natural world, but may not be to everybody's taste.
The museum also lends itself as a centre to the local community, hosting clubs, school trips and other events. I was there for a workshop session with film artist Idriss Assoumanou, organised by Voice for the Mansfield local reviewers. It was a really great day - Idriss is obviously very experienced and has a passion for what he does, and he guided us through some of the concepts and techniques of content creating. You can find his Voice profile here: User Profile: Idriss Assoumanou - Voice Magazine .
Clearly, Mansfield Museum prides itself on celebrating local history and knitting together the Mansfield community. Although it's relatively small, it's a great place to spend an hour or two if you're in the area; I have no doubt that you'll learn something you never would have guessed.
The Mansfield Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 3pm.
An interesting space with so much history. I know what you mean about the morbid taxidery birds, however some were magnificent and would we ever be able to witness these otherwise?...as long as they don't look me directly in the eye!