Archive Council News

17.05.06

Saved for Posterity - Bob Gray’s Collection of Curiosities

Never has so much been shown in so little space – that could be one way of describing the latest exhibition at Wrexham Museum! The new display features the collection of Mr Bob Gray, well-known local businessman, friend of Wrexham Museum and lifelong collector of local memorabilia.

Bob Gray started collected when he was first working as an apprentice electrician back in 1949. Since then he has amassed a huge and fascinating collection encompassing electrical goods from home and industry, signs, household items, memorabilia from the Second World War, curios and anything of historic interest that people brought to his door. For some time Bob Gray has been giving talks and lending items to local schools studying life on the Home Front or how people lived a hundred years ago.

This is the first time his collection has featured in an exhibition in its own right. Mr Gray helped the museum’s exhibition officer choose the items to display. Some of the highlights include: a rare Sinclair C5, a sign from the offices of the Broughton Picture Palace, a Victorian glass advertisement from Sisson’s Cambrian Brewery, a 19th century magic lantern and slides, a wind-up gramophone, and a device for sending eggs by post. This is only a mere taster of what is on show! You will also have the chance to try on a pair of workers’ clogs, the kind worn locally in the 19th century and early 20th century. Look out later on in the exhibition for the Gadget Box and a WW2 handling box.

The exhibition runs until July 29th. Admission is free.

For more information call 01978 317 970