Dumfries Museum

Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura
Exterior view of the Camera Obscura
General information
Architectural style	Victorian and modern
Town or city	Dumfries
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	55°03′55″N 3°36′53″W / 55.0652°N 3.6146°W / 55.0652; -3.6146Coordinates: 55°03′55″N 3°36′53″W / 55.0652°N 3.6146°W / 55.0652; -3.6146
Renovated	2011

Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, located in Dumfries in Dumfries & Galloway, is the largest museum in the region. The museum has extensive collections relating to local and history from the pre-historic era. The museum also has the world's oldest working Camera Obscura. Admission is free, however a small fee applies for the Camera Obscura.

Collections

The museum's collections cover all material relating to the natural history and human pre-history of the region, from geology to dress, folk material, archaeology and early photographs.

Notable artefacts include:

A cast of the skull of Robert the Bruce as well as femur and foot bones.
A Bronze Age cist burial including the remains of a 35-year-old man from the beaker people.
A large collection of Roman and Celtic stone crosses and funerary monuments.
A replica of the first bicycle, as designed by Kirkpatrick Macmillan.
The photographic archive of Dr Werner Kissling.
Personal items belonging to Thomas Carlyle

History

Originally built as a four-storey windmill on Corbelly hill, the highest point in Maxwelltown, in 1798, the site was purchased by Dumfries and Maxwellton Astronomical Society in 1834. Over a two-year period the tower was converted into an Observatory, and with advice from polar explorer Sir John Ross, a telescope was purchased from a Mr Morton of Kilmarnock. With its completion in 1836, unfortunately the observatory missed the arrival of Halley's comet; however, it was used in this role until 1872.

The main hall of the museum was built in 1862, and housed the collections of the newly founded Dumfries and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society. In 1981 a major addition of a new gallery, shop, search room and offices for curatorial staff was added. In 2011 the exterior of the windmill tower was refurbished.

Camera Obscura

The camera obscura is currently the oldest working example in the world, and has been in continuous operation since 1836. The instrument, based in the top level of the windmill tower, offers a complete 360° panorama of the surrounding landscape. The image is projected onto a focusing table below, and operated using a simple rope mechanism. In order to protect the instrument it is only operated during the summer months and on days when weather conditions are clear.

External links

Dumfries Museum Home Page
Dumfries Museum at Dumfries and Galloway Council website
Dumfries Museum on Future Museum

Museums and Art Galleries of Scotland

National Museums of Scotland	National Museum of Scotland National Museum of Costume National Museum of Flight National Museum of Rural Life National Museums Collection Centre National War Museum

Other museums	Aberdeen Maritime Museum Alloa Tower Biggar Museum Trust British Golf Museum David Livingstone Centre Dick Institute Discovery Point Dumfries Museum Fife Folk Museum Glasgow Museum of Transport Gordon Highlanders Museum Grampian Transport Museum Highland Folk Museum Highland Museum of Childhood Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Inveraray Jail Inverness Museum and Art Gallery John Knox House Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum King's Museum Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery Marischal Museum McManus Galleries Mills Observatory Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume Museum of Childhood Museum of Edinburgh Museum of Scottish Lighthouses New Lanark Newhaven Heritage Museum North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre People's Palace People's Story Museum Perth Museum and Art Gallery Provand's Lordship Provost Skene's House Scotland Street School Museum Scottish Fisheries Museum Scottish Football Museum Scottish Maritime Museum Scottish Railway Museum Signal Tower Museum St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art Stewartry Museum Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Surgeons' Hall The Tolbooth St Andrews Museum

National Galleries of Scotland	Dean Gallery Duff House Paxton House Royal Scottish Academy Building Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Other galleries	Aberdeen Art Gallery Burrell Collection Dundee Contemporary Arts Fruitmarket Gallery Gallery of Modern Art McLellan Galleries Pier Arts Centre Queen's Gallery Talbot Rice Gallery Tramway

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