Collection Articles
Press Release - Feb 2023
Hakutai (A Thousand Years)
Japan has a distinct and varied culture that blends age-old traditions with cutting-edge technology and creativity, and this object which you can see in our 'People and Place: Art Collection Showcase' exhibition is a very modern work which has been made using an ancient technique.
Art - Feb 2023
'Fern Colour' by Kate Nicholson
Kate Nicholson (1929-2019) came from a family of painters who all worked with the traditional subject of still life, but in very innovative ways. This vibrant oil on canvas was purchased from the artist for our fine art collections in 1958.
Press Release - Feb 2023
Is this Elizabeth I's signature?
We're displaying a famous portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in our '100 Journeys' gallery throughout 2023. The painting is on loan from The Woburn Abbey Collection and is show alongside materials relating to Sir Francis Drake. We also have a small number of items in our collections relating to Elizabeth I, including a book we believe she actually signed.
Press Release - Feb 2023
Discover 'The World of Stonehenge'
Plymouth Archaeology Society is delighted to be hosting a talk at the University of Plymouth on 6 March by Dr Neil Wilkin, British Museum Curator of Early Europe.
Press Release - Jan 2023
The Box joins The Wild Escape - the largest ever collaboration between UK museums
The Box is joining The Wild Escape, a major new project uniting hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses with schools and families to explore nature and creativity. Led by national charity Art Fund with support from Arts Council England, the project is the largest ever collaboration between UK museums.
Press Release - Jan 2023
'A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach' by Stanhope Forbes
This painting by Dublin-born artist, Stanhopes Forbes (1857-1947) is quite possibly the most popular work of art from our collections. Even though it’s been on display many times since it was acquired in 1962, ‘A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach’ still blows people away.
News - Dec 2022
New things to see in ‘100 Journeys’
Did you know we make regular changes to the displays in some of our permanent galleries? In many cases, we do this to protect the more fragile works in our care like photographic materials and works on paper from too much exposure to light.
Press Release - Oct 2022
Join our 'Culture Club'
Are you interested in art, culture and heritage? Would you like to meet others who share that interest? Do you have lived experience of racism?
Press Release - Oct 2022
The countdown is on to the opening of 'British Art Show 9'
The Box and three of Plymouth’s other top arts venues are counting down the days until the start of British Art Show 9 (BAS9).
History - Jul 2022
Making our 100 Journeys gallery more inclusive
The 100 Journeys gallery explores historic and ongoing voyages from Plymouth and showcases our world cultures, art, and archival collections in displays themed around specific journeys. We've been reviewing our displays to ensure that they are more inclusive and representative of more people. This work forms part of our commitment to anti-racism and decolonising our collections.
News - May 2022
Gertrude Benham: A woman of many mountains
A tiger puppet from Myanmar can currently be see on display in the ‘Zadie Xa: Long ago when tigers smoked’ exhibition, and it's one of over 800 objects donated to Plymouth’s collections in 1934 by Gertrude Emily Benham (1867-1937). Benham was a remarkable traveller and record breaking mountaineer who journeyed around the world at the beginning of the 1900s. Here's her story.
News - May 2022
Bags of style
The ‘Dress Code – Fashion Stories from The Box’ exhibition includes a number of items from our costume accessories collection, and features a section which looks at how jewellery, shoes, bags and more have been used throughout the centuries to enhance an outfit as well as communicate someone’s identity and status. These three bags can be seen on display in the exhibition and each have a story to tell.