mayor of Hastings Cllr Judy Rogers with Brion Purdey of the museum association re-enacting the opening, flanked by a guard of honour provided by the Hastings sea cadets
125 not out
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery’s 125th birthday celebrations were a great success on Wednesday 16 August. It marked 125 years to the day that Hastings’ first public museum opened, on 16 August 1892, with a re-creation of the original opening ceremony at 3.30pm, the exact time the museum was first opened.
Cllr Kim Forward, deputy leader of Hastings Borough Council and the lead member for culture, which includes the museum, explained: “Our first museum opened in the Brassey Institute, in rooms provided by the then Hastings Corporation. It moved to John’s Place in Bohemia Road in 1928, where it continues to be managed by the council.
“The birthday celebrations were great, the weather was kind to us and a lot of people made a real effort to dress up and recreate the Victorian atmosphere of the original opening day. It was really good to see so many visitors there, not just invited guests but many members of the public too, who all seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
“The museum is a fantastic asset for the town, and well worth a visit.”
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
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