National Museum and Art Gallery
 National Museum and Art Gallery, 2006 |
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| Data | |
|---|---|
| place |
Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) 
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| Art |
National Museum and Art Gallery
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| architect | DM Hahn |
| opening | September 17, 1892 |
| operator |
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
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| management |
National Museum and Art Gallery Act
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| Website | |
The National Museum and Art Gallery is the national museum of Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain . This is a general museum with a permanent display of over 10,000 objects. They are exhibited in seven major galleries - art, social history, natural history, economic history, petroleum, and geology. It's at the north end of Frederick Street , across from Memorial Park and south of Queen's Park Savannah .
The National Museum was originally established as the Royal Victoria Institute (RVI) in 1892 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee and as part of a general British colonial policy to build cultural institutes in the Commonwealth .
history
The building was constructed at the height of the British Empire as part of general British politics. It was designed by architect DM Hahn and opened on September 17, 1892 by MS Devenish due to Governor Sir F. Napier Browne's late arrival. Microscopic exhibits were seen there by the public for the first time in Trinidad. Soon after, the museum received various gifts, one of which was an anchor that Christopher Columbus believed to have used on his trip. The anchor was excavated in 1877 at a location whose location corresponds to the record of the position at sea where Columbus lost an anchor on August 2, 1498.
The Royal Victoria Institute was used for research exhibitions on natural history and archeology, as well as arts and crafts classes. In 1901 a reading room and a lounge were added to the building, and tennis courts were built on the site.
On April 18, 1913, the Marie Louise Hall was built by Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein . This hall is located in the King Edward VIII Memorial Wing on the first floor on the east side of the building. At that time, the institute housed a number of unique natural history collections. Among them were, for example, stuffed birds, a valuable collection of seashells, and a collection of various reptiles and insects.
The building burned down on May 19, 1920, and most of the collections were lost. The main part of the building was rebuilt according to the same plan as the old building. It was reopened in June 1923 and initially used for theatrical and musical entertainment as well as commercial lessons. In 1945, however, the colonial government decided to expand the exhibitions and activities and gave the institute the status of a museum.
Upon independence in 1962, the collections were moved to the former governor's house. The National Museum and the Art Gallery were to be set up there. However, this plan was not carried out and the collections were therefore returned to the Royal Victoria Institute building.
With the “National Museum and Art Gallery Act”, the Trinidadian government legally established the existence and funding of the museum in 2000.
museum
The society that ruled Trinidad and Tobago in the early 16th through 19th centuries was closely tied to the economy. Those who owned businesses were rich, while those who worked weren't.
The representation of the affluent society in the National Museum and the Art Gallery is aimed at all age and interest groups. You can see artifacts from dressers to pewter carafes to a gold-plated cash register. The artifacts are completed with additional information. However, the look at the early society of Trinidad and Tobago does not stop with the 18th century, but goes back to the 1940s. There you can see, for example, depictions of a typical kitchen and living room. You can also see objects typical of the time, such as a re-diffusion radio system, Morris chairs, a pitch-oil stove, a gramophone and a hand-operated clothes dryer.
gallery
Art gallery
The art gallery of the National Museum consists of about a thousand exhibits. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, and installations spanning more than one hundred and fifty years of Trinidad and Tobago art. The exclusive collection of works by Michel-Jean Cazabon is the museum's oldest collection. It dates from the years 1847 to 1857. The collection also includes 28 paintings by Margret Mann, who was a student of Cazabon during her time in Trinidad. The art exhibition is relatively young by international standards. It consists of objects acquired through transfer from other government agencies, gift and bequest, or purchase. For additional information, there is the possibility of a guided tour through the gallery.
History gallery
The history of Trinidad and Tobago is an interwoven series of political, economic, and social events and circumstances that affect the country's culture and way of life. Breaking these events down into individual snapshots is not an easy task, but the National Museum and Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago are trying to do it in their history gallery. The historical galleries are the most important offerings for the general public. They bring the nation's diverse cultural history to life and offer the visitor a context in which to analyze Trinidad and Tobago.
These galleries serve as an additional teaching tool for the schools and offer a visual and tangible method of conveying important and necessary knowledge. The history of Trinidad and Tobago is embodied in exhibits that are located on both the first and lower floors of the building. The galleries trace the history of Trinidad and Tobago starting with the pre-colonial era and the history of the indigenous people, the Indians. They culminate with the era of independence, touch on national sport, carnival and the economic factors of cocoa, sugar and oil. The museum's exhibitions show objects and photographs with almost 2000 objects on display. The aim is for a visitor to experience a truly immersive experience and to relive the moments in history as if they were there.
Others
The facilities include an audiovisual room that is used in an active educational program in schools.
The National Museum Service has developed a program called the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) that provides technical assistance and a small amount of financial aid to help organizers maintain their exhibits.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Branch offices
The National Museum has two branches in Port of Spain:
Museum of the City of Port of Spain
The museum in Fort San Andres shows the history and development of the city. The original fort was built by the Spanish in 1757 to protect the port. When the British took over the fortress in 1797, the fort was abandoned. However, it was reconstructed more inland in 1885 due to land reclamation. A new building was built on the foundations of the old fort to house the commercial newsroom and later the harbor master's office.
This building was later used to house various government offices. When the police department vacated the building in 1995, it was decided to restore the building and convert it into the Museum of the City Port of Spain.
Police Service Museum
The museum is located in the Downtown district and shows the history of the Port of Spain police. It was opened in a ceremony on September 22, 2004 by Minister Edward Hart at the Department for Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs. The Police Museum is located in the old Police Headquarters building on St. Vincent Street. The National Museum was responsible for the implementation of the project as part of the expansion of the museum supply. They secured the services of the historian and exhibition designer Gerard Besson as well as Sgt. Prinz and a police officer.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e National Museum and Art gallery: Historical Backgrounds . In: PDF document from www.nmag.gov.tt/content/about-museum . (English).
- ↑ TTParliament.org: National Museum and Art Gallery Act, 2000. Accessed July 19, 2020 . (PDF, 46 KB)
- ↑ NMAG.gov.tt: The Museum ( Memento from January 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ NMAG.gov.tt: Art Gallery ( Memento from January 31, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ NMAG.gov.tt: History Gallery ( Memento from January 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ NMAG.gov.tt: The Museum of the City of Port of Spain ( Memento from January 1, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ NMAG.gov.tt: Police Service Museum ( Memento from January 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive )