Latest news with #Brighton&HoveMuseums
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Mod clothing exhibition set to open in Brighton
An exhibition celebrating the clothing of the mod youth culture in the 1960s is set to open in a city which has close connections with the In Crowd: Mod Fashion & Style 1958-66 opens at Brighton Museum on 10 May and features outfits designed by Mary Quant, John Stephen and the original Brighton-based mod brand Ben Sherman. The display is curated by Roger K Burton, an expert in vintage fashion, and features rare and early mod outfits drawn from his collection. Mr Burton, who has styled films including Brighton-based Quadrophenia and Absolute Beginners, said the exhibition was "a chance to step into the world of a transformative youth culture that left an indelible mark on fashion and society". He said: "The Mods rejected the 1950s, favouring sharp tailoring, bold colours, and a sense of modernity that captured the spirit of youth culture. "More than just a fashion statement, they embraced a fresh outlook on life, celebrating youth, freedom, and modernity in ways that continue to inspire today."The exhibition showcases the influential designers who defined the mod movement with sleek miniskirts, sharp suits, and crisp button-down shirts that embodied its forward-thinking spirit. "These garments were statements of individuality, rebellion, and modernity," said Mr Burton. Hedley Swain, chief executive of Brighton & Hove Museums, said: "This exhibition not only showcases the remarkable craftsmanship and innovation of mod fashion but also celebrates Brighton's unique historical connection to this influential youth movement."Founded in Brighton in 1963, Ben Sherman has become a symbol of sharp British style, favoured by the mod movement for its tailored designs and contemporary aesthetics. The heritage brand will present an "archival installation", Ben Sherman: The Decades, which will run alongside the main exhibition from 23 May.
BBC News
20-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
The Booth Natural History Museum in Brighton closes for upgrades
A popular natural history museum in Brighton is to be closed for 12 months for essential Booth Museum, which is overseen by Brighton & Hove Museums, will be closed from Sunday as part of plans to improve its collections and infrastructure. The museum has more than 600,000 specimens, including insects, minerals, fossils and dinosaur bones. Hedley Swain, chief executive of Brighton & Hove Museums, said: "The Booth Museum is a cherished institution, but it needs vital improvements to safeguard its collections and create a more engaging visitor experience." He said: "This temporary closure will allow us to make much-needed upgrades." During the closure, the museum says it will tackle collection management challenges, improve storage conditions, alarm system, and fire safety. It adds many of its collections are stored in now out-dated cabinets and packaging, and it is working to ensure the items are protected for future generations. The Booth will open for monthly special event days which will offer behind-the-scenes access for visitors to explore previously unseen will also continue with as many pre-booked school events as possible, the museum said. History of the Booth Museum The museum was founded in 1874 by naturalist Edward Thomas Booth. It began as a collection of more than 300 dioramas showcasing British birds in their natural the Victorian era, people were passionate about natural history and Booth's particular interest was ornithology - the study of 1971, the Booth became a Museum of Natural History. It is now home to a collection of 525,000 insects, 50,000 minerals and rocks, 30,000 plants and 5,000 microscope of its oldest specimens include shells from the bottom of a 55-million-year-old Mediterranean lagoon.
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Brighton's Preston Manor reopens with Edwardian Easter party
A historic manor house in Brighton is hosting an Edwardian Easter fete to celebrate reopening to the public for the first time in five Preston Manor has been open for private bookings, it reopened last week for public visits and is hosting a special event on Saturday to officially can wander through the grand halls and enjoy an Easter egg hunt, live music and Edwardian lawn games, among other activities, in the Swain, CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums, said: "The manor is also steeped in eerie intrigue and unexplained phenomena lurking around every corner - it's a place where history and mystery collide. "We're especially excited to invite families to join us for our Edwardian-style fête, a fun, vibrant day filled with history, games, music, and all the charm of the past."The Easter fete runs from 10:00 until 16:00 BST on Saturday and is of Preston Manor was built in the late 1700s but parts date back to the year marks a century since the property was sold to the Brighton Corporation for £5,000 - the equivalent of £258,000 addition to its architecture, the manor is known as one of Britain's most haunted houses with stories of the White Lady, mysterious shadows, phantom children and even ghostly dogs.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Preston Manor: 'Haunted house' reopens to public after five years
A reportedly haunted East Sussex house is set to reopen for the first time in five years with a brand new Downton Abbey-style Preston Manor has been open for special events and to school groups, April will mark its first opening to the public since before the coronavirus pandemic with a "fresh new, immersive experience".Once home to Ellen and Charles Thomas-Stanford, there have been reported ghost sightings at the Brighton manor since the 19th Century, according to Hedley Swain, the CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums which runs the said the manor was "steeped in ghostly mystery, with spine-chilling hauntings and tales of eerie sightings and unexplained incidents". "The house provides a unique opportunity to journey back in time to the grandeur of early 20th Century aristocratic life, exploring the upstairs-downstairs lives of the eminent Thomas-Stanford family," she will be guided tours to cover the history and ghosts of the house as well as the walled gardens that back onto Preston reopened manor will also boast a tearoom serving a traditional Edwardian cream tea and a children's Manor will be open between 10:00 and16:00 GMT every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 April until 31 October.
