By River and Road, The Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery
By River and Road is the final phase in a large-scale refurbishment and redisplay of Doncaster's museum that was begun in 1993.
It wraps around the previous displays, meandering along the perimeter of the museum space, representing the course of the river Don. I was intrigued to see how well this unusual approach would integrate with the earlier displays in the programme.
By River and Road refers to the course of the river Don and the route of the Great North Road, which intersect in Doncaster. The river route deals mainly with natural history, geology and man's impact on the environment.
As the Romans are introduced into the displays, the Great North Road intersects with the river and the two routes then run in parallel, converging in more modern times. The gallery begins with the geological formation of the Don Gorge and moves broadly forward through time until we arrive at the 20th century.
Along the way there are branches off to thematic interdisciplinary displays on topics such as quarrying, mining, wetland wildlife and civic life. These showcase the areas of strength in Doncaster's collections and the factors that have shaped the development of the area.
The gallery makes a strong first impression.
The walls are dressed as limestone and red sandstone, divided by a blue carpet as the course of the river. There is a sense of entering a special space, and an atmosphere that enhances the displays.
I enjoyed the interdisciplinary approach throughout the displays.
Natural and human history are shown side by side, to great effect, and the interdependence of the two is a theme that informs the gallery. The ice age tundra changes to woodland as temperatures rise, easily and simply conveying how climate change affected the landscape, its wildlife and man's exploitation of resources.
A similar interdisciplinary approach is used throughout, so a medieval castle display includes stonework and small finds, but also specimens of falcon, rabbit, deer and red squirrels. Taken together, they help to create a fuller sense of what life might have felt like in each period.
One of my favourite displays was set within a full-size walk-in duck decoy, and explores the development of decoys from c1500 in Holland to their use in England. I was interested to learn how extensive decoy systems were, and that Doncaster had some of the first in this country.
The style of text is friendly and accessible, with complex ideas conveyed in a simple and enjoyable manner. It was a brave decision to use this style, because it is the sort of text that is often accused, unfairly, of dumbing down.
A good example of this approach is the reporting of conflicts between Roman and iron age cultures in the tabloid paper Stella Danensis (Doncaster Star).
As well as starring as storytellers, artefacts are presented as supporting evidence. In a display of Viking age grave goods, information and conclusions based on a study of the artefacts are placed alongside unanswered questions: who was the woman in the grave, why was she in the area?
We are invited to understand the limits of our evidence. Similarly, the remains of an Arctic ground beetle in the ice age diorama are used as evidence for climate and temperature change. This analytical approach is a window into the way in which objects are used for research.
It reinforces how museum collections can contribute to our understanding of the world, and is done with a light touch. Woven through the object-rich displays and engaging graphics are a number of easy and fun interactives, presented in a low-tech and accessible way that sits comfortably alongside the style of the text.
The use of the river and road themes gives cohesiveness to a complex story, and grounds it well in the area. Within most of the displays are references to something of relevance that can still be seen outside the museum, reinforcing the connection between the past and the present.
While this geographical approach works well for local people, it might be lost on a casual visitor. Without an understanding of the area, the route through the gallery and the interconnectedness of the themes could be lost.
I think the route of the river and road through the displays could be made more explicit, and I would have found a gallery map helpful. I also would have found it interesting to have a map of the local area to take with me, highlighting the references in the gallery.
Nevertheless, I came away from By River and Road with a new understanding and appreciation of this part of Yorkshire. The fun approach to the storytelling helped to create an enjoyable and memorable visit.
By River and Road is the final phase in a large-scale refurbishment and redisplay of Doncaster's museum that was begun in 1993.
It wraps around the previous displays, meandering along the perimeter of the museum space, representing the course of the river Don. I was intrigued to see how well this unusual approach would integrate with the earlier displays in the programme.
By River and Road refers to the course of the river Don and the route of the Great North Road, which intersect in Doncaster. The river route deals mainly with natural history, geology and man's impact on the environment.
As the Romans are introduced into the displays, the Great North Road intersects with the river and the two routes then run in parallel, converging in more modern times. The gallery begins with the geological formation of the Don Gorge and moves broadly forward through time until we arrive at the 20th century.
Along the way there are branches off to thematic interdisciplinary displays on topics such as quarrying, mining, wetland wildlife and civic life. These showcase the areas of strength in Doncaster's collections and the factors that have shaped the development of the area.
The gallery makes a strong first impression.
The walls are dressed as limestone and red sandstone, divided by a blue carpet as the course of the river. There is a sense of entering a special space, and an atmosphere that enhances the displays.
I enjoyed the interdisciplinary approach throughout the displays.
Natural and human history are shown side by side, to great effect, and the interdependence of the two is a theme that informs the gallery. The ice age tundra changes to woodland as temperatures rise, easily and simply conveying how climate change affected the landscape, its wildlife and man's exploitation of resources.
A similar interdisciplinary approach is used throughout, so a medieval castle display includes stonework and small finds, but also specimens of falcon, rabbit, deer and red squirrels. Taken together, they help to create a fuller sense of what life might have felt like in each period.
One of my favourite displays was set within a full-size walk-in duck decoy, and explores the development of decoys from c1500 in Holland to their use in England. I was interested to learn how extensive decoy systems were, and that Doncaster had some of the first in this country.
The style of text is friendly and accessible, with complex ideas conveyed in a simple and enjoyable manner. It was a brave decision to use this style, because it is the sort of text that is often accused, unfairly, of dumbing down.
A good example of this approach is the reporting of conflicts between Roman and iron age cultures in the tabloid paper Stella Danensis (Doncaster Star).
As well as starring as storytellers, artefacts are presented as supporting evidence. In a display of Viking age grave goods, information and conclusions based on a study of the artefacts are placed alongside unanswered questions: who was the woman in the grave, why was she in the area?
We are invited to understand the limits of our evidence. Similarly, the remains of an Arctic ground beetle in the ice age diorama are used as evidence for climate and temperature change. This analytical approach is a window into the way in which objects are used for research.
It reinforces how museum collections can contribute to our understanding of the world, and is done with a light touch. Woven through the object-rich displays and engaging graphics are a number of easy and fun interactives, presented in a low-tech and accessible way that sits comfortably alongside the style of the text.
The use of the river and road themes gives cohesiveness to a complex story, and grounds it well in the area. Within most of the displays are references to something of relevance that can still be seen outside the museum, reinforcing the connection between the past and the present.
While this geographical approach works well for local people, it might be lost on a casual visitor. Without an understanding of the area, the route through the gallery and the interconnectedness of the themes could be lost.
I think the route of the river and road through the displays could be made more explicit, and I would have found a gallery map helpful. I also would have found it interesting to have a map of the local area to take with me, highlighting the references in the gallery.
Nevertheless, I came away from By River and Road with a new understanding and appreciation of this part of Yorkshire. The fun approach to the storytelling helped to create an enjoyable and memorable visit.
Project data
Funders: Heritage Lottery Fund, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Designer: Michael Cox Associates
Construction: RS Displays & Exhibitions
Funders: Heritage Lottery Fund, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
Designer: Michael Cox Associates
Construction: RS Displays & Exhibitions
