Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Our Collection

A major part of the work of the Stockton Museums Service is the care of its large and varied collections. These range from the remains of a Roman bath house to Georges de la Tours 1640's masterpiece 'The Dice Players'.

The foundations of the collections are two bequests made to the people of Stockton in the early part of the last century.  These are the Spence Collection of historic weapons and militaria, and the Clephan Art Collection (including the Dice Players).

The main themes of the collections focus on domestic and working life over the last two hundred years, including craft tools, toys and costume.

Staff are currently transferring all of the collections records onto a new software package (MODES from the Museums User Association), giving much better access to the information.  They are also working to improve the way the collections are stored. Pressure on storage space currently limits the services' ability to accept donations to the collections, particularly of large objects. Copies of the Collecting Policy adopted by Stockton Museums Service can be loaned to the public on request.

Different areas of the collections require different solutions to care for them.  These range from a recently established store for our extensive costume collection to the large space needed for the three fire engines. The service is also exploring the possibilities of new technology, particularly for the thousands of photographs in the collections.

Another aspect of the collections are the papers, plans and photographs that go to make up the local history resources. These are used to support exhibition work and assist public enquiries for family research and other projects. The service is exploring ways of improving access to local history resources.