American Museum in Britain
The American Museum
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 Location within Somerset and the United Kingdom
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| Established | July 1, 1961 |
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| Location | Claverton, Bath, Somerset, England |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Website | American Museum |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Reference no. | 1214609[1] |
The American Museum in Britain[2] is based at Claverton Manor, near Bath, England, in a house, designed by Jeffry Wyatville and built in the 1820s[3] on the site of a manor bought by Ralph Allen in 1758,[4] replacing the manor house built by Ralph of Shrewsbury around 1340.[5] It is now a Grade I listed building.[6]
The museum was founded by two antique collectors, an American, Dallas Pratt (August 21, 1914 – May 20, 1994)[7] and a Briton, John Judkyn (1913 – July 27, 1963)[8] and opened to the public for the first time on July 1, 1961.
The exhibits cover American history in form of period rooms from circa 1690 to 1860. Also a different exhibition is created every year to included more recent American history. Out of the whole collection of around 200, 50 quilts and coverlets are included in the newly refurbished textile room.[9] In the Shaker room there are several pieces of furniture. In 2013 an exhibition 'Gangsters and Gunslingers' is being held,[10] which is a departure from previous policy which observed John Judkyn's guidance that the museum should contain no militaria was a Quaker.[11]
Garden
The garden, part of which is preserved from the previous house,[12] is set into the valley of the River Avon and has fine views over the valley and the Kennet and Avon Canal. The American Museum employed Lanning Roper to design a mixed border. There is a Colonial Herb Garden and a Mount Vernon Garden, which is a re-creation of George Washington's garden. The arboretum has a collection of American trees.[3]
Artists in the collection
The collection of portraits includes works by John Brewster, Jr., Ammi Phillips and William Matthew Prior. There are also carved eagles by Wilhelm Schimmel and Frederick Myrick.[13]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to American Museum in Britain. |
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ American Museum in Britain website
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Garden Visit website
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Biographical notes on Dallas Pratt
- ↑ Personal recollections of John Judkyn by Dallas Pratt
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
- Museum in Britain - official site
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Grade I listed buildings in Bath and North East Somerset
- Grade I listed museum buildings
- Grade I listed houses
- Museums established in 1961
- Museums in Somerset
- History museums in Somerset
- Decorative arts museums in England
- Folk art museums and galleries
- Textile museums in the United Kingdom
- Cultural history of the United States
- Gardens in Somerset
- Country houses in Somerset
- 1961 establishments in England
