Talk:Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Lunar society
I have added material on the Lunar society link and the enlightenment, but intend to improve this when I have gathered more facts together. The absence of any material on Herbert Spencer is a personal issue of mine, which I have taken up with the museum. While I suspect that some may regard my comment here as original research, the absence is a simple fact which may be of interest to others researching Spencer. --Memestream (talk) 14:28, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Some is OR I suspect. Erasmus wasn't living in Derby until 1783 when he reformed the Derby Philosophical Society. All the Orrery stuff predated him by about 20 years. Victuallers (talk) 00:50, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Why so much about Lunatics?
This article seems to be too much about the Lunar Society. 1858 swa the creation of a 4000 book collection from Derby Philosophical Society.... not the Lunar Society Victuallers (talk) 12:38, 10 September 2009 (UTC)


 * There is (was) an exhibit on the Lunar society and it's members in the museum, adjacent to the Wright gallery. The Lunar society is widely regarded as hugely important, not in relation to any particular place so much as for the role it's members and participants played in the industrial revolution, the Enlightenment, the French revolution, and the founding of the modern scientific and democratic age. One of it's key founders, John Whitehurst lived in Derby. Another, Erasmus Darwin, moved to Derby and continued his influence from there.  Add to that the fact that Derby Museum is a major owner of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby, and that many of his paintings relate to the Lunar society, and his friends in it, and are poignant commentary on it's activities, and we surely have THE central story of Derby and it's major personalities as represented in Derby Museum and Art Gallery.


 * Museums are places for artifacts, but they are surely failing if they do not tell the story behind those artifacts. Derby, at the heart of the Midlands, with so many links to industrialists, scientists and philosophers, has arguably the biggest story of all to tell - that of the founding of the modern world.  Herbert Spencer, friend of Darwin, and of George Elliot, coiner of the phrase 'survival of the fittest' founder of Sociology, and one of the most famous men of his time, was acclaimed by crowds on his visit to the USA, and inspired the title of a 2007 scholarly book "Herbert Spencer and the Invention of Modern Life". I wrote to the museum a couple of years ago suggesting that they should make more of this, and they replied that they would try to in the coming reorganisation.


 * This page is about the museum of course, not the story as I would tell it, but now that a collaborative project has begun with the Museum, I say 'wake up Derby - you have one of the biggest and most exciting stories of all to tell; and you own stunning paintings to back it up - an opportunity to tell the big story of the birth of science (which so often takes second place) in an appealing way. It would be good if the museum acquired and put on display a copy of Erasmus Darwins's illustrated book Zoonomia. Did I read that they have Darwin's microscope!!  Also Herbert Spencers books might be shown (hard going yes, but what an effort they represent).

Bird in the Air Pump
Why is this picture included here? Yes, it is by Wright of Derby, but the painting is not in Derby Museum's collections, unlike The Orrery. So its inclusion seems a bit misleading.Parkywiki (talk) 23:30, 6 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Indeed, but there are sketches etc, some of which may well be in Derby. But this should be clarified. Johnbod (talk) 16:40, 6 February 2011 (UTC)
 * The air pump was central to the big story of the birth of science, as told in Wright's paintings. Never mind whether the painting is actually in the museum - we are not here to list paintings on show (many of them move around on loan anyway), we are describing Derby Museum and the 'cultural heritage' that it has to show us. That painting, and the others that relate to the Enlightenment, are absolutely key to that heritage, and they were painted by a Derby man - that makes it particularly important.

GLAM and the Meeting at Derby on 9th April 2011
I was disappointed to find I had missed a meeting between Wikipedia editors and Museum staff at Derby library and surprised to find that collaboration was in progress without any clear announcement to that effect on this page. While there is a page on GLAM/Derby, I did not look at it because it is notactually mentioned on this talk page. There is a sentence which say "This article is related to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery" - yes I know that! It does not say "there is a specific project on the Derby Museum and Art Gallery called GLAM/Derby (jargon!) that you need to take a look at"! I do not believe it is acceptable for discussions relating to an article to be taking place on a project page without anything being said on the talk page - projects exist as options for those who CHOOSE to collaborate over groups of articles but should surely not take all discussion away from the talk pages of the articles themselves to the extent we see here. I see that references to the meeting, and video, exist on the web outside of Wikipedia:
 * Derby City council page
 * Private blog

It would seem a good idea to link here to such highly relevant pages in future. Memestream (talk) 22:29, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Develop
Somebody will be able add the near "public transit" of Museum with i.e google maps. isn't there information about area and visitors of museum? You may add, too.--KRLS (talk) 12:17, 4 May 2011 (UTC)

References for facts
The reference for "Derby museum has over 300 of Wright's sketches, 34 oil paintings, and documents."[6] does not fit, it tells something about the closure of the building but not about "hard facts". Are there any additional sources for the collections? I cannot find it on the website, and it would be much better to name the correct numbers instead of repeating marketing superlatives („important and attractive“…). However, I would prefer to get the information from a proper source instead just translating it from here. Thanks --elya (talk) 14:12, 7 May 2011 (UTC)

Great work
The work that Derby Museum has done with QRpedia codes is incredible. Great work, guys! Happy Wikimania. LoriLee (talk) 06:14, 6 August 2011 (UTC)

For main article?
This is available if thought useful Victuallers (talk) 08:48, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

External links modified
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110716055953/http://www.geocurator.org/arch/Curator/Vol1No8.pdf to http://www.geocurator.org/arch/Curator/Vol1No8.pdf
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080207075746/http://jquarter.members.beeb.net/morelunar.htm to http://jquarter.members.beeb.net/morelunar.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20070316172422/http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/content/files/81/76/355.rtf to http://www.search.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/content/files/81/76/355.rtf
 * Added archive http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110927131355/http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/ArchitecturetreasureExeterHousePanelling.htm to http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/ArchitecturetreasureExeterHousePanelling.htm

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External links modified
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I have just modified 2 external links on Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110221014736/http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2011/new_designation_collections to http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2011/new_designation_collections

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Funding issues
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-64188484

©Geni (talk) 14:11, 11 January 2023 (UTC)