A few months ago, the Museum of Liverpool was approached by Tyne and Wear Museums, with a request to loan objects from our Urban History collections for display in The Great Exhibition of the North.
In the spirit of the great exhibitions of the past, the Great Exhibition of the North will be a showcase of the outstanding and the extraordinary from across the North. The exhibition will be displayed across over thirty venues in Newcastle Gateshead.
The exhibition is a three month celebration of the North of England’s pioneering spirit and the impact of our inventors, artists and designers. It’s a chance to show how the North’s innovative spirit has shaped the world from the past, present and the future.
Three objects were selected for the exhibition, each with there own unique story. Here at Museum of Liverpool, we feel that it’s really important that Liverpool stories are featured in an exhibition which celebrates the, “heart, soul and imagination of the North”.
The first object selected is a book written by Jessie Reid Crosbie MBE, ‘This Kingdom Called Home’. Jessie was a well know figure in the area near Islington. She was born in Everton in September 1896 and dedicated her entire life to teaching. She was a well known pioneer in education reform throughout the country and the changes she made to the education system were ground-breaking. Alongside her other attributions, Jessie even introduced the first school bathhouse system in the country.
‘This Kingdom Called Home’ by Jessie Reid Crosbie MBE
Previously on display in Wondrous Place, the James Clarke medals have also been loaned to Tyne & Wear museums. James was born in British Guiana. When he was 14, he stowed away on a ship bound for Liverpool and was adopted by an Irish family living in the Scotland Road area. James saved many locals from drowning in the Mersey and the docks, and taught countless others to swim. He was the first Black man to have a street named after him.
The James Clarke medals
Lastly, the Casartelli Yarn & Cloth Quadrant, made by Joseph Casartelli. This quadrant was used to find the counts of yarn and weight in a piece of cloth. Joseph was born in 1823 in Italy and emigrated to Liverpool with his family when he was just 11 years old. Joseph established himself as an innovative producer of scientific instruments and in 1851 he displayed his mathematical innovations at the Great Exhibition held in Crystal Palace, London.
The Casartelli Yarn & Cloth Quadrant
Why not take a trip up to the North East and see our fantastic objects on display! For more information on visiting the Great Exhibition of the North, please visit: https://getnorth2018.com/