Blog

The story of a stinky city: How improved sanitation transformed Bristol

by Lee Hutchinson, curator of history When it came to the removal of human waste, for centuries Bristolians relied on the natural ebb and flow of tidal rivers. During medieval times, underground water channels were built to drain sewage and rainwater f…

10 netsuke from Bristol’s collection

by Amy Raphael, volunteer Did you know that Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has 300 Japanese carvings known as netsuke and okimono? Netsuke were Japan’s solution to a lack of pockets in men’s kimono and other clothing. During the Edo Period (1…

Joining Bristol: The city’s diverse population over time

by Karen Garvey, engagement officer for events We’ve been celebrating Bristol’s diversity and how migrants enrich the city during our virtual World in Bristol Festival along with our community partners at 91 Ways to Build a Global City. People have com…

Bristol’s Afrikan-Caribbean legends of martial arts

Clive Smith captures the true stories from some of Bristol’s Afrikan Caribbean legends of martial arts. Lloyd Russell. Lloyd Allen. Nathan Lewis. Shaun Vera. Winston Williams. This podcast gives an insight into the journey of racism and discr…

In support of Black Lives Matter

by Zak Mensah, Head of Transformation on behalf of Culture & Creative Industries M Shed, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol Archives, Blaise Museum, Georgian House Museum, and Red Lodge Museum are all part of Bristol City Council. Bristol Ci…

Caring for our collections during lockdown

by Fran Coles, Conservation and Documentation Manager Although we’re currently closed, our museum collections still need looking after. Maintenance of our buildings is essential work and a skeleton crew of staff are carrying out a variety of essent…

How can 200 year old paintings get us talking about climate change?

by Jenny Gaschke, curator of Fine Art The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an unexpected improvement in UK air quality as daily carbon emissions have fallen. We can feel the difference in Bristol too. A month before the UK lockdown began, climate …