Curtis Museum

17/05/2019

Allen Gallery

Don’t miss the Grand Plant Sale at the Allen Gallery tomorrow!

https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/grand-plant-sale
Pick up a bargain at the Grand Plant Sale tomorrow!

14/05/2019

Allen Gallery

We still have spaces on our Glass Coaster Workshop on Friday with artist Sigi Hill. For more information, please call the Allen Gallery on 01420 82802.

04/05/2019

The Curtis has a lovely new range of books for children, all priced at less than £10 each.

02/05/2019

Do you remember Tufty? Come and see the new display upstairs in the Curtis Museum which includes the hand puppets of Tufty, Harry Hare, Willie Weasel, Mr Hedgehog, Mr Badger the Policeman, and wise old Mrs Owl the Teacher that Police Sergeant Brian Bosley made and used when he toured the area over 45 years ago. Please share your memories with us.

24/04/2019

The Curtis Museum needs your help. Our Childhood Gallery is in need of some TLC! Help us to transform the gallery into an exciting new space for visitors of all ages. That’s where you, our loyal Facebook followers, come in.

These photos show the current Childhood Gallery. We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions as to how we can improve it and what you would like to see on display. For example, what was the most in demand toy from your childhood? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

We will also be launching a local fundraising campaign to help support this project. Watch this space for more information and updates.

21/04/2019

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Happy Easter from Hampshire Cultural Trust! 🐣

18/04/2019

The Curtis Museum & Allen Gallery will be closed on Good Friday, but are open as normal on Easter Saturday.
We wish everyone a very happy Easter

04/04/2019

Allen Gallery

Allen Gallery

https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/kaleidoscope-colour
Our brilliant new exhibition A Kaleidoscope of Colour opened today at the Allen Gallery.

20/03/2019

We may be best known for the our Saxon buckle, but the Curtis Museum has many fascinating items. The Selborne cup was discovered in 1867 when Blackmoor House near Selborne was being rebuilt. It is believed to be around 1800 years old. Well worth visiting to see this beautiful object in real life!

14/03/2019

An Introduction to Silk Scarf Painting with Deborah Woodland | Hampshire Cultural Trust

An Introduction to Silk Scarf Painting with Deborah Woodland | Hampshire Cultural Trust

Choose your favourite colours to create yourself a beautiful silk scarf to wear home on the same day.

20/02/2019

Museum by Torchlight | Hampshire Cultural Trust

https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/event/museum-torchlight-0

Our annual Museum by Torchlight Event is happening tonight! Come and explore the museum and complete our glow in the dark trail. £3.00 per child, and accompanying adults get free entry.

Bring a torch and explore the museum at night with our family trail!

18/02/2019

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Tickets are available from the Allen Gallery

28 March at Alton's Allen Gallery: GARDENING WITH NATURE - a talk by Maddy Harland, co-founder of Permanent Publications and the Sustainability Centre in East Meon. In this informative talk, Maddy will be asking the question; how can we create sanctuaries that feed local wildlife, provide us with food and are resilient to the climatic extremes we are now experiencing? Limited tickets available. Please book your tickets in advance from the Allen Gallery to avoid disappointment. https://hants.co/2HS2jEp

03/02/2019

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

MUSEUM BY TORCHLIGHT: 20 February, Curtis Museum, Alton. Bring a torch and explore the museum at night with our family trail! Suitable for all the family, but children must be accompanied by an adult. £3 per child, adults free. 🔦

01/02/2019

Following further snowfall this afternoon, the Curtis Museum and the Allen Gallery shall remain closed tomorrow (Saturday 2nd Feb). We hope to reopen as usual on Tuesday 5th February.

01/02/2019

The Curtis Museum and Allen Gallery will be closed today (Friday 1st February) due to the adverse weather conditions. We apologise for any inconvenience

21/01/2019

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP: 31 January, Allen Gallery, Alton. Learn the basics of Japanese calligraphy including an introduction to its writing system with artist Sachiko Mason. Learn how to move the brush and how to adopt the meditative mindset of a calligrapher. Booking in advance essential. To reserve your place, please call the Allen Gallery on 01420 82802.

08/01/2019

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

W H ALLEN EXHIBITION: 'TO THE ROUGH SICKLE AND CROOK'D SCYTHE': Allen Gallery, 5 January - 23 February. Take a journey back to the turn of the last century and into the lost world of the agricultural labourer, the charcoal burner, the blacksmith, the ploughman and the miller, recorded for posterity in the paintings of W H Allen. Free entry.

22/12/2018

The Curtis Museum will be closing at 5pm today. It will reopen at 10am on the 2nd January 2019.
We wish everyone a very happy Christmas and new year.

20/12/2018

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

📚Volunteers needed for Alton shared reading programme!

The Allen Gallery is seeking volunteers to support a shared reading programme in Alton to help combat isolation and loneliness.

The gallery is working with The Reader, a national charity and social enterprise whose mission is to build a world where weekly, informal read aloud groups are part of the fabric of life. The project has been extremely successful all over the country, with groups being set up in schools, community centres and care homes amongst other locations. Volunteers are needed to deliver the sessions on a weekly basis, with training for those who would like to be involved planned for the end of January.

To take part, please call the Curtis Museum and Allen Gallery on 01420 82802 Tuesday-Saturday 10am – 5pm or email [email protected]. More details about The Reader can be found at www.thereader.org.uk.

13/12/2018

Visit our nostalgic Christmas display from collector Bob Leggett and see what sort of things you might have had at this time of year in the fifties and sixties.

13/11/2018

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Today our Allen Gallery in Alton had a visit from West Dean College students. The students, who are studying conservation of ceramic were very pleased to be able to handle (with great care) original pieces from the internationally important collection.

30/10/2018

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

THE BUTLER'S CHRISTMAS - A TALK BY BOB FRANCE: Allen Gallery, Alton, 22 Nov. A welcome return for Dr Bob France as ancient butler John Dine, who explores how dramatically Christmas changed from his Georgian youth to late Victorian times. Tickets £5. Light refreshments provided. Please book your ticket in advance from the Allen Gallery to avoid disappointment

26/10/2018

Allen Gallery

Allen Gallery

We just wanted to thank all of the artists exhibiting in our Open Exhibition this year. It's a wonderful show and has attracted much admiration (and sales). If you haven't seen the full show yet it will still be open tomorrow (Saturday 27 Oct) until 4.30pm when it will finally close. Entry is free and there is an opportunity to vote for your favourite as well in the 'Peoples Choice' category.

26/10/2018

Are you interested in joining our wonderful volunteer team? If you are popping along to the New Directions Over 50 event at Alton College today, look out for our stall and have a chat with some of our friendly volunteers to find out more.

30/03/2018

Hampshire in Old Photographs

Employees with beer barrels, Crowleys Brewery, Alton, Hampshire, 1938
P2011.1.183
DPAAVO08

03/03/2018

The Curtis Museum and Allen Gallery remain closed today. We do not take this decision lightly, but many of our volunteers come from he surrounding villages where the conditions still make travelling dangerous. The safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors is our top priority. All being well we will reopen on Tuesday.

01/03/2018

Due to the adverse weather conditions, we will be closed today, we will continue to monitor and post further updates here and on our website.

28/02/2018

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust

We will do our best to remain open as usual this week, but due to the adverse weather we may have to close some of our venues either fully, or on reduced opening hours. Any closures will be announced on our website and social media – please watch this space for updates and news.

06/02/2018

Hampshire in Old Photographs

Dr William Curtis, leaving his house to take a journey in his horse and cart, 4 High Street, Alton, Hampshire, 1875
P2011.1.172
DPAAVO73

17/01/2018

Hampshire Cultural Trust

Today is #MuseumSelfieDay! Have you ever taken a cheeky selfie at any of our venues? Here's one from May The Toys Be With You at The Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery and one from Alton's Curtis Museum - comment below with yours!

19/12/2017

Hampshire Cultural Trust

We are open as normal up to and including this Saturday 23rd Dec, we will then close and reopen on Tuesday 2nd January. Check out the seasonal opening hours for us and all Hampshire Cultural Trust venues on our website

Visiting us over the holiday period? Don’t get caught out - check the seasonal opening hours for our venues online! https://buff.ly/2kqS6Ue

10/12/2017

Hampshire in Old Photographs

A view of Market Street and High Street, Alton, Hampshire, 1900 - 1910
P1996.47
DPAAFZ91

27/10/2017

Local History Open Day | Hampshire Cultural Trust

Our local historian, Jane Hurst, will be in the local studies area on Saturday 11 November for a local history open day. Drop in between 11:00am and 4:00pm to delve into the archives of all things Alton and the surrounding area http://bit.ly/2gHFcMI

Join our local historian in the Local Studies Area and delve into a wealth of information about people and buildings in Alton and the surrounding villages.11:00am - 4:00pm

26/10/2017

Museum by torchlight is in full swing, grab your torch and come down for some adventures in the dark!

14/09/2017

The new £10 note featuring Jane Austen comes into circulation today. Did you know her brother, Henry Austen, ran a bank in Alton? Read about Jane's relationship with her brother in Jane Austen: The Banker's Sister by EL Clery, available in our shop.
Professor Clery will be giving a talk based on her book next May.

23/02/2017

Early British Kingdoms +

This is the Alton Buckle. See it at the Curtis Museum, a very nice little museum in Alton, in Hampshire, with an excellent archaeology collection. To quote their information board,
"The Anglo-Saxon buckle from Grave 16 of the Mount Pleasant Anglo-Saxon Cemetery found during excavations in 1959-61.
A silver gilt body of sub-triangular shape, filigree wire and niello inlay, set with Cloisonné garnets and glass. The centre panel of semi-zoomorphic design is gold filigree om a green repoussé base. The buckle shows signs of considerable use and wear, the two silver gilt bars being ancient repairs.
The buckle was found in the grave of an Anglo-Saxon warrior accompanied by a sword, shield boss, spear heads, and numerous smaller items.
It is the finest piece of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship to have come from the soil of Hampshire and is amongst the most beautiful and accomplished Anglo-Saxon works to be found outside the Sutton Hoo material from Suffolk.
Buckles of this type were used to fasten a belt worn around the waist or hips and were the major items of male jewellery during the 6th and 7th centuries."

04/02/2017

Petersfield Town Visitor Centre

Petersfield Town Visitor Centre

#FebruaryHalfTerm #Activities (18.02.17 - 26.02.17) As February Half Term fast approaches you may be considering making plans to keep the kids entertained. Here are some of our ideas: Is That An Elephant in My Fridge, Story time & Crafts Petersfield Library - Half Term Family Trails at Uppark House and Garden (National Trust) - Hinton Ampner - National Trust & Curtis Museum - Birdbox Building & Penguin Crafts Gilbert White & The Oates Collections - All the Fun of the Farm Staunton - Farm - Gardens & Country Park - Magic of Musicals (ages 8-16) The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre - All the Fun of The Fair (circus themed event) Queen Elizabeth Country Park - Zootropolis *special showing* The Festival Hall - Den Building & The Sky at Night Deadwater Valley Trust - We've attached the 2017 half-term programme for the Rural Areas Play Project (RAPP) - As always, if you have some local half term ideas then please do share them with us! :) http://www.easthants.gov.uk/rapp

04/01/2017

Hampshire Cultural Trust

There were 5 Williams in the Curtis family, including the Botanist, Jane Austen's doctor and the founder of the Curtis Museum. Local historian Jane Hurst unpicks who is who from this distinguished Alton Family in the next in the series of evening talks on Thursday 26 January at 7:30pm at the Allen Gallery. https://www.hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk/event/who-was-william-curtis

There were 5 Williams in the Curtis family, including the Botanist, Jane Austen's doctor and the founder of the Curtis Museum. Local historian Jane Hurst unpicks who is who from this distinguished Alton Family in the next in the series of evening talks on Thursday 26 January at 7:30pm.

09/11/2016

Allen Gallery

Allen Gallery

Aged 5-11? Love art? Submit your artwork on the theme of Kings & Queens for our Childrens Art Competition, deadline for submissions 24 November, see website for details.

20/10/2016

Feast of local history on display in Alton

It's Alton's Local History Day tomorrow at the Assembly Rooms. Find out more about the rich and varied history of Alton and the surrounding villages including Froyle, Medstead, Farringdon, East Worldham, Holybourne and Chawton. When you've finished there, pop over to the Museum to see more about the heritage of our wonderful town.

The biennial Local History Day of the Alton and Villages Local History Forum takes place at the Alton Assembly Rooms on October 22 from 10am-3pm.

09/09/2016

We still have some places on our drawing class in September. Don't miss out! Visit our website to find out more details
http://hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk/event/drawing-class-developing-careful-looking

16/08/2016

Lots of fun was had trying on historical hats at the Curtis Museum today

16/08/2016

Lots of fun was had trying on historical hats at the Curtis Museum today

12/08/2016

Do you love drawing? Join Ronnie Ireland for another one of his very popular drawing classes. The class takes place on Saturday 24 September 10:30am-1:30pm, in the delightful surroundings of the Allen Gallery.

Tickets cost £25 per adult, and materials and light refreshments are provided.

Don't miss the chance to book a place so visit the Allen Gallery or call 01420 82802 to book. http://ow.ly/hOWd303aQ9x

27/07/2016

This Saturday is our Dolls House Day. Come along and see our exhibits, activities and the launch of our range of accessories and furniture for sale.