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Barnsley Museums

@barnsleymuseums.bsky.social
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We are Barnsley Museums. Sharing stories from our collections and our five free to visit venues across Barnsley; Cannon Hall Museum, The Cooper Gallery, Experience Barnsley Museum, Worsbrough Mill & Elsecar Heritage Centre www.barnsley-museums.com

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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'The Berkshire Boy' by Eliza Turck Eliza Turck worked as a painter, miniaturist and illustrator at a time when it could be difficult to work as a female artist. Her paintings were accepted for exhibition at the Royal Academy from 1854 and she continued to exhibit for many years.
A young child with curly hair, wearing a red vest and brown clothing, sits on a brick ledge holding a piece of straw, with green grass and a dark wooden structure in the background.A young child with curly hair with Brian Blessed's face wearing a red vest and brown clothing, sits on a brick ledge holding a piece of straw, with green grass and a dark wooden structure in the background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'Lady and Pony' or 'The Best of Friends' by J F Pasmore Pasmore exhibited many works at the Royal Academy in the mid 19th century and seems to have specialised in sporting themes and sentimental genre paintings both of which were very popular with Victorian collectors.
A painting of a woman in a green jacket and dark hat holding the bridle of a brown horse.A painting of a woman in a green jacket and dark hat holding the bridle of a brown horse with Brian Blessed's face
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'Lady Holding a Book' by I Sabatini Little is known about this artist but the picture was painted in Florence in the late 19th century and was then bought in London from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.
A woman in a gold and green period dress sits on a small stool, holding an open book and resting one foot on a red cushion.A woman in a gold and green period dress with Brian Blesed's face sits on a small stool, holding an open book and resting one foot on a red cushion.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I' by English School She is wearing a red dress encrusted with jewels and a large white lace collar. Elizabeth I was Queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII by his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I wearing a large lace ruff, pearl necklaces, and a red gown embroidered with jewels, holding a scepter and an orb.Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I with Brian Blessed's face she is wearing a large lace ruff, pearl necklaces, and a red gown embroidered with jewels, holding a scepter and an orb.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'The Drinker' by British School There is a betting slip tucked into the brim of his hat and on the table are a jug and a pipe. The man in question could have been a coachman or even a squire as he is wearing a thick overcoat.
A painting of an older man with white hair wearing a brown coat, a tan wide-brimmed hat, and a red necktie, holding a glass of drink; a metal mug sits on a shelf beside him.A painting of an older man with Brian Blessed's face with white hair wearing a brown coat, a tan wide-brimmed hat, and a red necktie, holding a glass of drink; a metal mug sits on a shelf beside him.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
'Watter Joe' by Abel Hold Hold was very prominent in Barnsley during the Victorian period. He lived on Church Street (near to what is now the Cooper Gallery) for a few years and then moved to the village of Cawthorne close to the estate of Cannon Hall
A seated elderly man wearing a hat and dark coat holds a glass in his right hand, looking slightly to the side with a gentle expression, against a plain, warm-colored background.A seated elderly man with Brian Blessed's face he is wearing a hat and dark coat holds a glass in his right hand, looking slightly to the side with a gentle expression, against a plain, warm-colored background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 9h
GORDON'S ALIVE! Happy 90th birthday to the legend that is Brian Blessed. He has managed infiltrate our Cooper Gallery paintings and now there's no escaping him! Henry VIII (1491–1547) Hans Holbein the younger (c.1497–1543) (after)
A portrait of a King Henry VIII in regal attire with a fur-lined cloak, red patterned tunic, and jeweled necklace, wearing a feathered hat, standing against a dark green background.A portrait of Henry VIII with Brian Blessed' face in regal attire with a fur-lined cloak, red patterned tunic, and jeweled necklace, wearing a feathered hat, standing against a dark green background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
At Wentworth Castle Gardens the Sun Monument was dedicated to Lady Mary as one of the earliest memorials to celebrate a living (non-royal) woman. She is also remembered with a Barnsley Civic Trust blue plaque
Tall stone obelisk topped by a golden sphere marking a park monument, framed by bare and evergreen trees against a pale sky.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
*It is important to note that the word bisexuality did not exist at this time. Sexuality was defined by what you did, rather than who you were Montagu though, was an aristocratic woman. Her class and wealth provided her with a privilege and status unknown to most British citizens
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A bisexual* Georgian feminist icon (1678 – 1762) who introduced the smallpox inoculation into the UK from Turkey over 300 years ago!
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu is something of an unsung hero - She was the first person to introduce the smallpox inoculation in the UK in 1721 She is remembered at Wentworth Castle Gardens with The Sun Monument
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
‘queer joy’ is the #OnlineArtExchange theme this week in celebration of Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends at National Portrait Gallery. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu by Jonathan Richardson the elder (1667–1745) from Sheffield Museums
18th-century formal portrait of a young noblewoman standing with one hand on her hip, dressed in a low-cut, fur-trimmed black gown with white and red accents and a white headscarf topped by a small red cap, set against a muted landscape background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
We're glad you enjoyed your visit and the nativity puppets, we have a video of them in action - we'll re-share that a bit closer to Christmas
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
#PuzzleMonday Obviously there's an area in Experience Barnsley devoted to Kes and Barry Hines 🧩Let us know how long it takes to complete this #MuseumJigsaw 🧩 🎨 bit.ly/BlueskyJigsaws #bluesky #game #puzzle #PuzzleMonday #MuseumMonday #WorldTeachersDay
A museum display featuring a stuffed kestrel, old black-and-white soccer photos, a photo of a boy with a kestrel, a paper cup, a VHS tape, and a copy of “A Kestrel for a Knave” by Barry Hines.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
#WorldSmileDay This photo always brings a smile to our faces! Sheffield Road, date unknown.
Toddlers crawling down a street with two men in suits walking by
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Here's another poem by Ken Brookes @kbrookes42.bsky.social which we thought we'd shared yesterday but clearly some gremlins got in the way! 'The Museum Door began to creak....' A poem about Maurice Dobson Museum and Heritage Centre
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
😍
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Our Digital Curator is feeling a bit glum today after failing to get Glastonbury tickets yesterday. Have you got any photos from your camera roll to cheer him up? Those in the queue yesterday have a shared pain of a green progress bar that never seemed to move, so here are some green objects ✅
Three British one-pound banknotes on a black surface. Two notes show a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, while the third, older note features a different design.Two green ceramic vases are displayed side by side. The left vase features painted designs of a bird and flowers, while the right vase is plain. Both have a glossy finish and a classical shape with a wide base and narrow neck.A rectangular bar of green soap with a rough texture and an engraved pattern or letters on the top surface, sitting on a neutral background.A ceramic tile featuring a green and white illustration of an old sailing ship with three masts and billowing sails on wavy water, framed in wood.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
From our own collections we have 'Autumn' by William Henry Mander This painting featured in our 'Four Seasons In One Day' exhibition last year which we then turned into an @artukdotorg.bsky.social curation #OnlineArtExchange
A rustic old watermill sits by a flowing stream, surrounded by green and autumnal trees, with hills and a cloudy sky in the background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The #OnlineArtExchange this week is all about autumn 🍂 Autumn Regrets by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836–1893) from Shipley Art Gallery #Autumn #Art #BlueskyArt @artukdotorg.bsky.social
A woman in a long black dress and hat leans thoughtfully against a stone wall in an autumnal garden, with golden leaves on trees and scattered on the ground. A large building is visible in the hazy background.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
What better way to celebrate #NationalPoetryDay than with a poem about our mysterious Veiled Lady. Thanks to @kbrookes42.bsky.social for this poem about his favourite piece of art on display at The Cooper Gallery
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Combining #NationalPoetryDay with 🧩 #MuseumJigsaws 🧩 ➡ bit.ly/CooperJigsaw... We'll be sharing more poetry a little later today!
Barnsley Is the place to be around the district you will see right busy mines where underground nothing can beat the coal that's found staunch friends you'll find the Barnsley folks, Like all good sportsmen fond of jokes. Everything cheery as it can be, You come to Barnsley, you'll soon see.
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Reposted by Barnsley Museums
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 29/09/2026
It's National Coffee Day? Hold our tea (sorry - we are from Yorkshire it's the law)... How about this fancy pants coffee pot made in York in 1799 for your morning brew?!
We are looking at a silver coffee pot in a vase form, reeded borders, engraved with foliate decoration and an initialled cartouche, hinged raised cover with a knop finial, on an oval foot, the underside inscribed.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
A day early for #NationalPoetryDay but here is a poem that @imcmillan.bsky.social wrote a few years as part of our exhibition about the Slazenger factory in Barnsley #NationalSportingHeritageDay #NSHD2026
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It's become a tradition of ours to ask you to #ShowUsYourBalls as part of National Sporting Heritage Day. Here's our multi-coloured tennis balls that were made at Slazenger's in Barnsley where are at one time all the tennis balls were made #NationalSportingHeritageDay #NSHD2026
multi-coloured tennis balls
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The piece is signed JJ and it's likely it was painted by Joe Juster. Juster joined De Morgan during the latter part of the Chelsea period (1872-82) and came to be regarded among the most skilful of De Morgan's decorators.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Today is National Coffee Day, which is all the reason we need to re-share this beautiful ceramic coffee pot by William De Morgan. #NationalCoffeeDay #Coffee
A ceramic teapot with a tall, gourd-shaped body, a curved spout, and handle. It features decorative red patterns with floral and abstract designs on a white background.
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Karen RH @karenrh.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Take a few minutes to distract from the doomscrolling
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
#PuzzleMonday A view of Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens 🧩Let us know how long it takes to complete this #MuseumJigsaw 🧩 🎨 bit.ly/BlueskyJigsaws #bluesky #game #puzzle #PuzzleMonday #MuseumMonday
The sun rises over a misty landscape with grassy fields, scattered trees casting long shadows, and a hazy sky above distant hills.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We're looking forward to National Ken Day, oops we mean National Poetry Day next week!
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We don't have as many keys but ours seems bigger! This giant key used to be on display outside Reynolds and Wadsworth, an Ironmongers in the centre of town.
A huge key hung in the middle of the museum with a sign for Albert Hirst's Famous Black Pudding
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Lennep writes, 'The prince wears a triple crown, made of iron, silver and gold. He holds a sceptre surrounded by seven stars and a golden globe upon which a dove perches' (op. cit. p. 117). In the background, the old king drowns.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
We're going for gold for the #OnlineArtExchange this week ✨ 'A Prince, Clad in Gold, Succeeds the King; Representing a Stage in the Alchemical Process' (after Salomon Trismosin) by Edith Annie Ibbs (1863–1937) and Salomon Trismosin (after) from @wellcomecollection.bsky.social
A crowned figure in ornate robes stands on a path, holding a golden orb. Sun and moon shine above, rays connecting to a reclining figure by water. Lush mountains and trees surround the scene, with blue sky and clouds overhead.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The firm was taken over by his four sons in the 1930s and they appointed Aldo Londi as Artistic Director in 1946. Londi had been apprenticed to the Fratelli Fanciullaci pottery before serving in the Second World War.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today is Elephant Appreciation Day 🐘 Figure of an elephant by Bitossi. The Bitossi factory was founded in 1921 by Guido Bitossi building on successive generations of his family's creative skills in Montelupe Fiorentino near Florence, Italy. #ElephantAppreciationDay
A small, blue ceramic elephant figurine decorated with intricate floral and geometric patterns in lighter blue and green on its back, head, and ears.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"More famous than the players he umpired" were the words used to describe Dickie Bird who passed away a year ago today. Dickie umpired 66 Test matches and three World Cup finals. This interview was recorded in 1983. Listen to more as part of the Barnsley Museums Natters podcast
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Jan Jansz van der Heyden was born in Gorinchem in 1637. He probably first trained as a glass painter. He settled in Amsterdam by 1650 where he principally worked. He specialised mainly in townscapes of Amsterdam but was also a landscape and still life painter.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Van der Heyden painted several views of the house and gardens offering different perspectives. This view is of the main façade of the house from a sharp side angle. The house is now one of three official residences of the Dutch Royal Family
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Huis ten Bosch, or the House in the Wood, is the summer residence of the ruling House of Orange. A mile from the centre of The Hague, the building was designed by Pieter Post in about 1645 for Amalia Solms, the wife of the Dutch Stadholder, Frederick Hendrick.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#PuzzleMonday 'The House in the Wood (The Huis ten Bosch)' by Jan van der Heyden 🧩Let us know how long it takes to complete this #MuseumJigsaw 🧩 🎨 bit.ly/BlueskyJigsaws #art #bluesky #artist #game #puzzle #PuzzleMonday #MuseumMonday
A large brick building stands beside a garden with tall trees. People are scattered across the grass, some sitting and others walking. The sky is partly cloudy, and sunlight bathes the peaceful outdoor scene.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Shiver me timbers! This decorated clay tobacco pipe was found in Houndhill #TalkLikeAPirateDay
A  clay pipe with a skull and crossbone
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
We also wanted to say that thank you for helping us to get to 2000 followers! ✨ We will thank all our recent followers in a weeks time after we have a short break in celebration.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
That Monday morning feeling when you start getting dressed but don't have the energy so lie back down for a while.
a small doll, a slightly detached head and is only wearing a pair of crocheted socks
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@hillaryneale.bsky.social Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! A coal not dole poster and t-shirt from the 1984-5 Miners' Strike
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@maykenalanna.bsky.social Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! We have a collection of tins in the museum that were made locally at the Barnsley Canister Company
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@madeyemasn.bsky.social Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! This huge key hung outside an ironmongers on Market Hill in the centre of town. Not connected to the Albert Hirst the butcher who had shops on several streets
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Sadly not, these are on display in the museum, maybe we need more Ian McMillan merch?
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@gardennicola.bsky.social Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! This clocking in machine was used at Barnsley Main, right up until the colliery closed in the 1990s
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@caroline-venezia.bsky.social Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! We have lots of references to pigeons in the museum Fake eggs! The owner would give these eggs to any broody champion pigeons during the racing season so that they would be content and not lay as many eggs during big races.
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Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
@covell.ca Thank you for sharing our post yesterday! On display in Experience Barnsley: A New York pocket watch bought by the Sherburn family 1 hour before sailing back to Liverpool from America in 1908. This Barnsley family only stayed in Virginia for 2 years before returning to Barnsley.
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