Financial woes have led to the closure of London's Type Museum after only 14 years in existence. The trustees made the decision to close in May because the organisation was in danger of trading at a deficit.
The museum, which told the story of the evolution of type design and manufacture through machinery, had more than 5 million artefacts in its collection. It was set up as a centre to commemorate typecasting and foundry machinery dating back to the 16th century.
Funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund helped buy major items in the collections including £50,000 towards the Monotype hot-metal division equipment and the Stephenson Blake collections, although the designated owners are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum respectively.
The museum held an open day once a month to give visitors an opportunity to see the machines in action. At other times the museum was accessible by appointment only and its main audience was students of typography.
The museum had been unable to secure core funding and ongoing financial problems led to the trustees selling the freehold to the building.
Nicolas Barker, the chairman of the trustees, said that although the museum had closed to the public, there was a possibility that alternative plans could be made for the museum.
Barker said three paid engineering staff remained at the museum and one administrative part-time post had been made redundant. Howard Bratter, the director of the museum who was brought in three years ago, resigned although the trustees had expected him to stay on at the museum.
Tim Martin, a former staff member, who was laid off last October and became a volunteer at the museum, has launched the Type Museum Society to help save the museum.
He said he feared the collection would be split up: 'It will cease to be a condensed learning experience. It will only be accessible to the most determined scholars.'
Andrew Leitch, the head of planning and major projects at the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), said the NMSI would support the museum in any way it could. But he continued: 'Barring the intervention of a white knight galloping out of the forest, I can't imagine anyone else coming up with the money.'
He said the NMSI has given the Type Museum the next six months and allocated a project manager to assist it in looking at the options. But he said the Monotype collection would more than likely go to the NMSI's Wroughton Store.
Felicity Heywood
The museum, which told the story of the evolution of type design and manufacture through machinery, had more than 5 million artefacts in its collection. It was set up as a centre to commemorate typecasting and foundry machinery dating back to the 16th century.
Funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund helped buy major items in the collections including £50,000 towards the Monotype hot-metal division equipment and the Stephenson Blake collections, although the designated owners are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum respectively.
The museum held an open day once a month to give visitors an opportunity to see the machines in action. At other times the museum was accessible by appointment only and its main audience was students of typography.
The museum had been unable to secure core funding and ongoing financial problems led to the trustees selling the freehold to the building.
Nicolas Barker, the chairman of the trustees, said that although the museum had closed to the public, there was a possibility that alternative plans could be made for the museum.
Barker said three paid engineering staff remained at the museum and one administrative part-time post had been made redundant. Howard Bratter, the director of the museum who was brought in three years ago, resigned although the trustees had expected him to stay on at the museum.
Tim Martin, a former staff member, who was laid off last October and became a volunteer at the museum, has launched the Type Museum Society to help save the museum.
He said he feared the collection would be split up: 'It will cease to be a condensed learning experience. It will only be accessible to the most determined scholars.'
Andrew Leitch, the head of planning and major projects at the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), said the NMSI would support the museum in any way it could. But he continued: 'Barring the intervention of a white knight galloping out of the forest, I can't imagine anyone else coming up with the money.'
He said the NMSI has given the Type Museum the next six months and allocated a project manager to assist it in looking at the options. But he said the Monotype collection would more than likely go to the NMSI's Wroughton Store.
Felicity Heywood
