Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
Description:
The Museum is sited in Stewart Park, close by the site of the cottage where James Cook was born. The cottage was demolished in the early 1800s.
Outside stands a totem pole, which was the gift of British Columbia in Canada.
The Museum offers primary age children opportunities for learning by providing facilities for children to work in the galleries.
Additional to the galleries, there are special exhibitions and events, rooms for lectures, a Café and Gift Shop.
History:
The foundation stone was laid in February 1978, and the Museum was opened on 27th October 1978, on the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s birth. It replaced an earlier, much smaller museum.
The Museum was officially opened by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Terence Lewin.
The design, building and equipping of the Museum was organised by the Captain Cook Charitable Trust, which raised the necessary capital, of £607.00, half of which was the gift of Middlesbrough Borough Council.
In 1993 a Feasibility Study on the Museum was carried out, and it was recommended that a total refurbishment be carried out, when a temporary Exhibition Gallery was enlarged and Education Resource Centre opened at the Museum. An air conditioning system also needed to be installed, in order to achieve a controlled environment for the artifacts.
The second phase of the 1993 development, was to extend the first floor for the temporary exhibition gallery and Resource Centre, for this over £160,000 was raised by the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum Trust.
The new expanded Museum was re-opened after the refurbishment by Richard Ormond, the Director of the National Maritime Museum.
In 1996 the Museum closed again for an overhaul after receiving a £800,000 grant from the British National Lottery. It was reopened on 9th April 1998 by Sir David Attenborough, after a £1 million refurbishment, with new displays and visitor facilities.
The Museum continues to be refurbished regularly to upgrade the galleries and facilities for visitors, and to continue its lively education programme, and events.
Inscriptions:
Awards:
In 1995 the Museum was awarded £1000 in the British Telecom North East Museums and Galleries Awards, for its educational facilities.
In 2016 the Museum won the Sandford Award . The Award is managed by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Bishop Grossteste University, Lincoln. The Trust provides independent quality assurance to historic properties and collections which run education programmes.
Registered Charity No. 507317
GPS Coordinates: 54.540400, -1.204900
References:
Cook’s Log, page 129, vol. 4, no. 4 (1981)
Cook’s Log, page 140, vol. 5, no. 1 (1982)
Cook’s Log, page 152, vol. 5, no. 2 (1982)
Cook’s Log, page 815, vol. 15, no. 1 (1992)
Cook’s Log, page 860, vol. 15, no. 3 (1992)
Cook’s Log, page 1002, vol. 17, no. 1 (1994)
Cook’s Log, page 1047, vol. 17, no. 3 (1994)
Cook’s Log, page 1052, vol. 17, no. 3 (1994)
Cook’s Log, page 1154, vol. 18, no. 2 (1995)
Cook’s Log, page 1228, vol. 19, no. 1 (1996)
Cook’s Log, page 1305, vol. 19, no. 3 (1996)
Cook’s Log, page 1417, vol. 20, no. 3 (1997)
Cook’s Log, page 1501, vol. 21, no. 2 (1998)
Cook’s Log, page 1527, vol. 21, no. 3 (1998)
Cook’s Log, page 38, vol. 29, no. 1 (2006)
Cook’s Log, page 42, vol. 29, no. 1 (2006)
Cook’s Log, page 22, vol. 39, no. 4 (2016)
Cook’s Log, page 23, vol. 40, no. 1 (2017)