100 Years, 100 Objects: Stories from the Collections of Lancaster City Museums

Richard Owen and the Iguanodon

This special episode of our museum podcast is being released in anticipation of Lancaster's annual Dino Fest. Join us as we talk to palaeontologist and artist, Mark Witton, to find out more about Richard Owen, the Lancastrian who named 'Dinosaurs', and also discover more about iguanodons, palaeontology and how artists bring dinosaurs to life.  

103. Christmas Quiz

Have you been listening to our 100 Years 100 Objects podcast series? It's time to find out how much you've learned with our end of series quiz. We've got 20 challenging questions for you to try. 

102. Bonus Episode

We chat to some of the guest speakers from the series to find out about a historical figure that intrigues, inspires, or just down right irritates them. Join us to find out who they have chosen. 

101. Thank You

A message from Lancaster City Museums to say thank you for supporting this podcast, and news on our two upcoming bonus episodes. 

100. Frozen Lune Stereograph

Come back with us to 1895 when Lancaster was a very chilly place! In this episode we look at a stereograph of a frozen Rive Lune during a winter which became known as 'The Great Freeze'. We talk to Dr Serena Pollastri to find out more about both stereographs and and extreme weather. 

99. Boneshaker Bicycle

Join us for this episode where we speak to Mark Davies about a boneshaker bicycle and how cycling has developed over the years, giving people a new freedom they had never had before. Even if it wasn't all that comfortable!

98. Buffalo Bill Portrait

Did you know that for one day in 1904 Lancaster looked a lot like the wild west? We speak to Dr Timothy Hickman from Lancaster University to find out about the man who brought the western frontier to the North West of England. Find out more about this intriguing portrait of famous showman Buffalo Bill.  

97. Gillows Longcase Clock

We're stepping back in time by looking at an intricately crafted clock today. This Georgian symbol of wealth and business brought two Lancaster merchants and their families together in a perfect emblem of the trade networks that spread locally, nationally and internationally. We speak to Susan Stuart to find out more about the Worswick family, the Gillow family, and the business that made them partners.  

96. Grassyard Park by Reginald Aspinwall

In today's episode we explore the sometimes troubled life of a gifted local painter. We talk with artist Alistair Makinson about Reginald Aspinwall, his life, his work, and why his paintings are still so popular and captivating today. 

95. Shrigley and Hunt Window Design

Today's object lets us explore the story of one of Lancaster's most decorative industries, and the main players in the world of stained-glass making. We speak with Gordon Clark to find out about this beautiful window design, the man in it, and the people behind it. 

94. White Lund Explosion Shrapnel

Come back with us to the night of a local tragedy. We talk to Tim Churchill to find out all about what happened on that fateful night in 1917 at the White Lund projectile filling factory. 

93. James Herns Autobiography

In this episode we look at the life of a black entertainer who was a much-loved Morecambe figure. We speak to Valerie Waterhouse about the fascinating life of James Herns and the rare autobiography that he left behind to tell his story. 

92. Quernmore Shroud

In this episode we are taking a look at one of the rarest textiles in Britain. A fascinating and enigmatic find that shines a light on a mysterious period in our history. The Quernmore shroud was part of a burial, discovered on a fellside, which raised as many questions as it answered. We speak to Carolyn Dalton and Professor Fiona Edmonds to find out more about the shroud, the burial, and the world it comes from.  

91. Adelaide Hall Programme

Come back to the 1940s with us for a glamourous night when Morecambe resounded with the music of Harlem. We speak to Kirsty Roberts to find out about Adelaide Hall, the famous Jazz singer who brought glamour to the Winter Gardens. 

90. Cross Bay Swim Badge

Jump in to another episode to find out about the history of the Morecambe Cross Bay Swim. We chat with Charlie Overett who worked as a pilot for the swim when he was just 13 years old, to find out more about the experience of those who took part in one of the toughest swimming challenges in the country. 

89. Alfred Clowes RHS Medal

We're looking at a heroic story from Lancaster's past in this episode. Andrew Walmsley talks to us about the Royal Humane Society Medal and the local people who were awarded it for saving their fellow Lancastrians who fell into the Lune. 

88. Williamsons Rule Board

Come with us in this episode and take a step inside the Williamsons linoleum factory. But make sure you follow the rules! We're looking at a rule board from the factory with Inga Jackson to find out more about what life would have been like for the workers.

87. Dickens Commemorative Booklet

This episode involves an historic inn, two Victorian authors, and a ghost, all the elements needed for a spooky look into Lancaster's very own ghost story. Find out all about the sinister tale which Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins wrote while staying in the town, and how the tale they created might say more about Victorian society, and a woman's place in it, than might be at first apparent. 

86. John Lawson Token

In this episode we get a taste of the not-so-sweet history of sugar, and a merchant who imported it into Lancaster in the Seventeenth Century. Find out more about the man behind a tiny token from the collection, and how sugar became a key battleground in the abolition campaign. 

85. John Walker Photograph

In today's episode we're examining Sunderland Point through the photographer's lens. We delve into the photographs, and the life, of John Walker, who created a fascinating archive of local views in the late nineteenth and early Twentieth Century.