User:BlackCountryMuseums/Dudley Museum and Art Gallery

Dudley Museum and Art Gallery is a public museum and art gallery located in the town centre of Dudley in the West Midlands of England. It was opened in 1883, situated within buildings on St James's Road, and has remained at this site ever since.

Geology
The geology exhibits are the 'most important collection' at the museum and are drawn from a collection of approximately 15000 fossils from the local area including nearby Wren's Nest hill and Wren's Nest. The two geology exhibits are 'Dudley Unearthed' and 'Fantastic Fossils'.



The 'Dudley Unearthed' area contains a set of interpretative displays that relate the geology of the area to the history of the industrial revolution, with regularly changing features on the geology of both the local area and the rest of the world, including information on Dudley Volcano. Fossils formed by the eruption of the volcano around 315 million years ago are also on display.

'Fantastic Fossils' showcases Silurian and Carboniferous fossils, with examples of fossilised corals and shellfish, Crinoids, Gastropods, Trilobites, Cephalopods, worm tubes and fossilised speciments from the forest canopy and ground covering and primitive plants.

Return of the Dinosaurs
'Return of the Dinosaurs' opened in 2007 and is distinguished by several large models of various species of dinosaurs, including Baryonyx and one of the earliest dinosaurs, Thecodontosaurus .

The Brooke Robinson Museum
In 1911, local MP Brooke Robinson bequeathed his collection of paintings, furniture, ceramics, enamels and medals to Dudley. The objects are now on displayed in a dedicated room in the museum which contains a miscellaneous collection of 17th, 18th and 19th century British and European paintings, furniture and ceramics, together with oriental ceramics, Japanese netsuke and inro, Bilston enamels, commemorative medals, Greek, Roman and Egyptian pottery and personal memorabilia relating to Brooke Robinson and his two wives.

Duncan Edwards and Local Heroes
The room features a great deal of memorabilia connected to local football legend and Busby Babe Duncan Edwards, who was born in the town in 1936. There are plans to introduce other local sporting heroes in the future.

Fine Art Collection
The museum also holds a large collection of fine art, including oil paintings, watercolours, engravings and prints, which are rotated in and out of display. Among these are works by local artist Percy Shakespeare.