Your support helps us to preserve our collection, ensuring its future. As part of our new gallery project over 1,000 objects were conserved, including such significant items as the ski overshoes Captain Scott was wearing during his fatal journey back from the South Pole. The shoes are now stable and available to view, free of charge, in the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen: ‘Polar Worlds’ gallery.

Your donations to help acquire the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I also helped to fund the extensive conservation work that took place on the painting. Hundreds of years of private ownership had meant that the painting was covered with a thick layer of grime, as well as multiple layers of thick vanish. Over six months of conservation work removed these, and additional conservation work has transformed the portrait, as well ensuring that it will be available to view for future generations.

Not only are your donations conserving our current objects, but they are ensuring that there will be a new generation of conservators to look after future acquisitions. Funded by donations, this year 20 of our Conservation Volunteers will gain their NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Cultural Heritage.

Your donations are making sure that we can preserve important historical and cultural objects for future generations.