In keeping with Tenby Museum and Art Gallery's policy of presenting frequently changing exhibitions, a new display entitled 'Fossils, Ferns and Flowers' is currently on show.
The exhibition shows examples of some of the very fine 18th and 19th century volumes held in the museum reference library. Alongside each illustration are specimens taken from the geology and botany collections which are also held in the museum. At this time, exploration of the natural world was a relatively new and absorbing interest. Many amateur and professional collectors came to Tenby to enjoy the beautiful scenery, to improve their knowledge of local species and to add to their collections.
The books on display in this exhibition were donated to the museum reference library by some of these early collectors. They show the beautiful and extremely accurate illustrations contained in these volumes, which aided in the identification of species. Many are hand- coloured engravings, woodcuts or etchings. Examples from the museum's fine collections of fossils, ferns and flowers, as well as stunning specimens of seaweeds, are shown alongside many of the illustrations.
With the help of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was matched by the Council of Museums in Wales, extensive work has recently been carried out documenting all the museum's collections. Included in this project was the early 19th century herbarium, thus enabling it to be displayed for the very first time.
The specimens of flora, ferns and sea-weeds displayed were collected in the early years of the 19th century. It is a credit to the skill of these skilled amateur collectors that they have remained so well preserved and colourful.
The exhibition continues until March 22. Tenby Museum and Art Gallery is open 10 am - 5 pm, Monday to Friday until Easter, then every day until the end of October.