More than 30 people attended the Albany Museum's 160th anniversary celebration on Friday 11 September, where Curator Emeritus Fleur Way-Jones gave a brief history of the insitution – the second-oldest museum in the country.
More than 30 people attended the Albany Museum's 160th anniversary celebration on Friday 11 September, where Curator Emeritus Fleur Way-Jones gave a brief history of the insitution – the second-oldest museum in the country.
The other Grahamstown museums affiliated to the Albany Museum are the Fort Selwyn, Old Provost, the Priest's House and the Observatory.
Way-Jones said the museum had struggled for many years trying to get a permanent home and that the museum had been located in many places such as Hill Street, Drostdy Gate, Bathurst Street and the City Hall.
In 1902 it moved in to its current location in Somerset Street. "While the museum had no permanent premises it used to open for two hours a day and two days a week.
"But hundreds of people would come and visit the museum even though it only opened for a few hours. "It was not easy but due to the hard work of various people, the museum was kept alive until permanent premises were secured.
"Sir Walter Hely-Hutchison officially opened the museum with a golden key," said Way-Jones.
As well as the talk, museum staff took the opportunity presented by the event to raise some important issues.
They complained that not enough of the museum's collection was on display and that visitors were sometimes disappointed.
"For example we are working here and people know that, so they often ask us if what they see on the internet is really available here."
Way-Jones said some anthropology collection items transferred to East London Museum were brought back to Albany in 2001.
