Art and history will combine as two new exhibitions open at the Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum this week.
An eighteen-year-old girl’s journey to Egypt with Robert Stephenson on board his yacht ‘Titania’ in 1858 is the inspiration behind the first – Since the middle summer’s spring – a new installation by Newcastle-based artist Cath Campbell.
The exhibition was formally opened by the Mayor and Mayoress of Darlington Cllrs Brian and Doris Jones at a special preview on Friday (8 July) and features architectural, replica models of train stations depicting those found in cities teenager Elizabeth Bidder visited during the epic voyage from Southampton to Alexandria, Egypt.
Artist, Cath Campbell, said: “I’ve always been fascinated by travel and how we access different parts of the world.
“I wanted to create a piece of work for Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum that reflected its history, heritage and relationship with Robert Stephenson. I was introduced to Elizabeth’s dairy detailing her voyage on board the ‘Titania’ and I thought it would be fascinating to celebrate some of the railway stations in the cities she visited on her journey.”
The Elizabeth Bidder Diary, published in 2008 by The Robert Stephenson Trust, provides a first-hand account of the eighteen-year-old’s journey in which she shares a vivid story of her trip with the famous railway engineer, including tales of the cities and countries visited along the way.
The new exhibition is part of a wider project celebrating contemporary art installations in non-traditional art spaces, funded by Arts Council England’s Museum Resilience Fund. Entitled Meeting Point, the project by Arts&Heritage sees nine new contemporary art installations at nine museums in the North East and Yorkshire during 2016.
Sarah Gouldsbrough, Acting Museum Manager at Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum, said: “We are excited to be working with Cath, as her model making reflects familiar aspects of our collection and shows them in a new light.”
Timandra Nichols at Arts&Heritage said: “Darlington Railway Museum is a gem full of the most extraordinary objects, including Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1. The artist Cath Campbell’s work will make a fascinating addition by bringing to life a story previously tucked away amongst our rich rail heritage.”
“Meeting Point is all about bringing contemporary artwork into new spaces and I think Cath’s work will really appeal to existing museum audiences as well as encourage new people to visit, which is a fantastic legacy for the project.”
At the same time the museum is hosting the ‘Safe and Sound’ a touring exhibition created from a two-year collaborative project between museums in the Tees Valley.
Two hundred years ago there were no formal emergency services. The exhibition will reveal how they have developed and uncover the lives of those who have worked on the front line, keeping communities safe and sound.
To find out more about the Safe and Sound Project go to https://safeandsoundteesvalley.wordpress.com/ or follow them on Facebook and Twitter: Facebook.com/SafeandSoundTeesValley Twitter.com/SS_TeesValley
Both exhibitions opened to the public on Saturday (9 July) and will run until Sunday 4 September. Normal museum admission fee applies. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.
For more information about the Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum and its events programme call 01325 405060, visit the website at www.head-of-steam.co.uk or log onto www.darlington.gov.uk/darlingtonevents or you can emailheadofsteam@darlington.gov.uk.