A few weeks ago I promised to provide some information of the contents of the Coal Gallery at Sunderland Museum and in particular about the model coal mine there. The information on the model is a follows:
"A model of a Durham pit head, on loan from The Science Museum, London. The model was given by John Wales, the Viewer of Hetton Coal Co, to the predecessors of the Science Museum, London in 1858. It was first exhibited in 1851 at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace and at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924. The model is built to a scale of 1 : 24 and the identity of its builder is not known."
Other items which are on display include:
A selection of miner's lamps from the Spedding Steel Mill of 1760 to an Oldham type 'G' electric cap lamp and battery. In the same section there are samples of 'disaster glass' produced following disasters at Wingate, Murton, Seaham, West Stanley, Usworth, Brandon, Heton and Elemore collieries.
There are also examples of miner's tools, rope splicing tools, ventilation measuring equipment and dust sampling equipment on display.
In the adjacent Time Machine Gallery there is provision for a painting of Dr William Reid Clanny, the Sunderland GP, to be displayed. Clanny is holding his fifth lamp in his hand. However the painting is currently not on display.
In the upstairs Lost Worlds Gallery, a large fossilised tree trunk, approximately eight feet in height, found in North Biddick Colliery in 1840 is on display. Nearby there is a large piece of quartz and a quantity of samples of North Pennine minerals from Weardale and Teasdale.
I have prepared a more comprehemnsive listing of what is on display and if any list member is interested I can send a .doc copy as an attachment.
Alan.
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