The National Archives is delighted to announce that Spirit of Invention will become our first exhibition to go on tour. It opens at Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Discovery Museum on 16 March.
The interactive exhibition, our first designed for young families, had a successful season at The National Archives in Kew during 2023.
When it opens in Newcastle it will feature 21st century inventions including a necklace that shows how polluted the air is in real time and a robot inspired by the shape and underwater movements of a jellyfish, alongside quirky Victorian inventions from our records. An airship designed for the Arctic, an early telephone system and a self-ventilating top hat are among the designs included which were created by Victorians caught up in a national craze for innovation.
Emmajane Avery, The National Archives’ Director of Public Engagement and Sector Leadership said: “We’re thrilled that our first exhibition to go on tour is opening at the Discovery Museum. The documents we care for at The National Archives belong to everyone and this is a wonderful opportunity to make the creativity, designs and stories that they can inspire accessible to more families. It’s been made possible by close collaboration with colleagues at Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums.”
Keith Merrin, Director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) said: “We are delighted to bring Spirit of Invention to Discovery Museum for the people of the region to enjoy. The stories of inventiveness and creativity chime with those told in the museum about the great North East inventions that have shaped the nation.
“It is the first time that The National Archives has worked with a museum in this way to create an exhibition away from its London base and is part of a longstanding relationship that we have for the benefit of the communities of our region.”
Spirit of Invention will be on display at Discovery Museum until 23 June 2024. Entrance to the exhibition is free.
