Exhibitions The aim of the Museum is to present to residents and visitors the history of Mersea and the surrounding areas. The many exhibits include sections in Local History, Natural History, Social History, Marine and Geology. The main displays are changed each year and there is always something new to see. New for 2010: Resource Centre A significant extension to the museum. Browse the Museum's digital collection of photographs, oral history and film. 13,000 images, 200 hours of audio and oral history. Exhibitions - 'Odd' Objects The ENDEAVOUR tow rope Our object in the BBC History of the World project is a pieces of the tow rope that broke in the Atlantic in 1937, leaving the yacht to sail back to England. She had a crew with several local people on board, with Captain Ted Heard from Tollesbury, and was missing for several days. Photographs of ENDEAVOUR and newspaper cuttings from the time. Farming Horse overshoes, sickle, flail, hay cutter, shepherd's crook... Mersea Businesses Book keeping machine, Telephone Exchange Subscriber's Line Unit, Cash Register, Magnetic Card Machine, cheque making machine... The Parish Church 16th Century Chest, old clock face, chancel gates, lantern... World War 2 Spitfire model, gas mask, ARP hat, wartime books, machine gun, incendiaries, uniform... Medical Heart massager, dentist's drill, other mysterious instruments. Audio Visual slideshow A new slideshow will be running - "Then and Now". Old photographs of Mersea and the same scene today.

Local History

A changing selection of pictures, maps, photographs and postcards showing the history of Mersea and its residents from the 19th Century is displayed. A model of a beach hut illustrates a feature of holidays in Mersea that is close to many people's hearts. This section also includes Archaeological finds such as Roman remains, tiles and pottery. Bellamine and Matabani Jars (17th Century) and Amphora (Roman Vase) are also on show.

Natural History

Local land and sea birds in a typical Essex saltings setting are displayed. A good pre-war collection of birds eggs, a comprehensive collection of butterflies and a fossil collection are normally on show.

Social History

This is the largest section in the Museum because of the amount of material, with exhibits covering a period of two centuries. Displays of fishing equipment and a Fisherman's Cottage help to create the "Old Mersea" atmosphere, together with many articles used by local people in earlier times.

Marine

Models of boats and local craft, together with old fishing equipment and boat building tools. Photographs of smacks at work, yachts, houseboats, barges. The Museum holds a fine 1919 Punt made locally by William Wyatt complete with its original gun, used in Mersea for many years. The John Leather Memorial Collection contains John's library of books, boat plans, research papers and photographs. It is currently being catalogued.

Geology

Fossil and fossilized material drawn from a wide range of locations, together with a collection of rocks and minerals, are on display including crystals and ore deposits, and all are well documented.

Family History

We have copies of parish records and other information and so are able to answer many family history queries. Family trees have been built for several well-known Mersea families.

Photographic Collection

The Museum has over 12,000 historic photographs which can be displayed on a computer in the Resource Centre. The collection covers Mersea and the surrounding area, local people, fishing, oystering, shipping, barges, smacks, farming yachting and more. Most of the photographs in the John Leather Memorial Collection have now been digitised and can be viewed. An audio-visual slide show on Mersea runs in the main museum and other themed slideshows can be run in the Resource Centre.

For Children...

We have a variety of picture quizzes, puzzles, sketching activities etc. around the Museum for children (and for adults).

To find the amusing story behind this interesting gentleman, you will have to visit the Museum...

Exhibitions from earlier years Click on the following links to see some exhibitions from previous years. 2009 - Century of Memories 2008 - Mersea's Recent Past 2007 - Roman Mersea 2006 - Fire Service, Lifeboat, Essex and the Sea 2005 - Lord Nelson, William Wyatt, Mersea at War