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Tank Museum scoops
further lottery finding
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| News
Release issued: 15th June 2005 |
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The Tank Museum has been awarded a further £344,000
by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The money has been made available for the creation
of a Supporting Collections Study Centre, and follows
an £8.55 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant
awarded in January to improve facilities and conditions
inside the Museum itself.
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Tank Museum spokesman
Nik Wyness said; "The Supporting Collections
Study Centre is a stand-alone project from the major
Museum redevelopment plan, but it is an important part
of our overall master plan to upgrade the entire site."
The Tank Museum's supporting collections are composed
of a range of objects, including medals, uniforms,
models, personal items, and art. There is currently
only enough space to display 10% of the supporting
collections in the Museum - leaving the remaining
90% permanently mothballed in wooden huts, which have
been condemned for demolition.
"The items within them are at risk from fire, theft,
vermin and the environmental conditions are very poor,"
says Nik.
"The Supporting Collections Study Centre plan plays
a vital part of preserving some of the more fragile
and interesting elements of our collection, and making
them accessible to the public. We aren't just creating
another store room, but a space that will allow the
public controlled access to the things that are not
housed in the Museum, a new photographic studio,
and a multi-purpose workspace which will enhance
teaching and learning opportunities at the Museum."
Nerys Watts, HLF's Regional Manager in the South West
added; "This is the first phase in a major re-development
of the whole of the Tank Museum's site, creating vastly
improved storage conditions for collections and opening
some of them up to the public for the first time.
The project as a whole will enable the museum to better
tell the full human story behind armoured warfare,
including the people who served in the vehicles and
those who helped to develop and manufacture them."
A redundant military building on the Museum site
has been selected to house the Supporting Collections
Study Centre, which is also being joint-funded
by the MOD, Designation Challenge Fund and The Tank
Museum. |
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The new Supporting Collections Study Centre
should be completed by September 2006.
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![[image] Webley Revolver: Right Hand click to download high quality image (](images/new-images/webley_revolver.jpg)
Hi Quality image: Right hand click on the
above pictures (© Tank Museum) and click 'save
target as' (image size 125KB) - Left hand click will
open it in a new window.
This Webley revolver is just one of the fascinating
items contained in the Museums supporting collections.
Carried by tank corps man Pvt Walter Carruthers during
WWI, the barrel was damaged by shrapnel when a shell
exploded near him - and in fact saved his life. This
item, along with countless other items in the supporting
collections, gives a fascinating personal account of
armoured conflict. |
| ENDS |
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![[image] Webley Revolver: Right Hand click to download high quality image (](images/hiquality-images/webleyrevolver(125KB).jpg)
