A window on the world

Museum manager Janice Hayes said: "The museum opened as a result of public demand because in the 1830s and 1840s groups such as the Natural History Society and people like William Beamont, who went on to become the first Mayor of Warrington, put their private collections on show in temporary exhibitions in the market place."

Visitors could peruse local treasures like paintings and art, models of machinery, philosophical apparatus, specimens of natural history and general items of curiosity.

They could also have their likeness cut by a silhouette artist, an offer that was taken up by the Rev Charles Dodgson and his family, including his soon to be famous son Lewis Carroll.

The Alice in Wonderland author was one of the first to find inspiration from the collections in Warrington and this is the main reason the museum has a prominent dodo on display in tribute to his iconic book.

"These exhibitions proved so popular that when William Beamont got to be mayor in 1847 one of the first things he did was set up a committee to look at establishing a public museum so people could come and see these fantastic things on a permanent basis," said Janice.

By 1848 the museum moved into temporary premises off Friar's Gate and in 1854 the Warrington Guardian hailed its success, reporting: "It is so crowded on all public occasions as to defy a proper inspection of its contents."

The museum's home on Bold Street was secured in 1855 and William Beamont had the honour of laying the foundation stone.

In celebration, a procession headed by the borough band marched around the flag-adorned streets of Warrington and the town rumbled with excitement as more than 2,000 revellers flocked to Bold Street.

By 1857 the project was finished and today the site remains the hub of Warrington's museum, library and archive service at the heart of the Cultural Quarter.

Janice said: "Of course back then there were no radios, no televisions and most people would struggle to read a daily newspaper, so the museum was where you would go to see a window on the world.

"The people of Warrington have got a chance to see these fantastic collections which were brought by people who thought everyone should have an opportunity to see these great objects."

One of the most important developments for the museum was in 1877 when the art gallery officially opened.

To commemorate this occasion a leading sculptor called John Warrington Wood was commissioned to make a work of his choice.

The resulting statue was the magnificent image of Archangel Michael killing Satan and the imposing figure can still be seen today as you enter the museum.

Another important historical role the museum played was during the Second World War keeping spirits up on the home front.

Of course, many collections were packed away but the museum played a vital role in giving healthy food advice during rationing and helped to raise money for battleships.

The gallery has a whole host of information and artefacts from everything from the Civil War of 1648 to the Industrial Age right through to modern day but the museum is always trying to create a more complete picture of the past.

Janice said: "We are particularly keen to reflect the local story and people have been helping us research things like Warrington at work.

"Obviously the town centre keeps changing and it's nice that people can say, when I was younger that was what that area looked like', and they can do that through our collections.

"We have updated things as far as we can - the museum does not have sterile display cases and it still has that friendly feel to it.

"People also like to keep coming back to see some well loved things like the seal and Warrington's dinosaur Ticinosuchus.

"We have worked with lots of museums and various scholars have come up to us and complimented us on the collections."

She added: "When you're 150 years old you need the odd facelift but you still have that sense of dignity."