EXHIBITION: Inspired by Stonehenge
Saturday, 16 May, 2009

Inspired by Stonehenge focuses on the changing ways the monument has inspired and been experienced by visitors throughout the past two centuries. Guest curator, well-known archaeologist and broadcaster Julian Richards, compiled the exhibition and has written a catalogue to accompany the exhibition.

It is hoped the exhibition will rekindle not only concern for the monument, but a willingness to embrace and take care of Wiltshire’s wilder heritage.

The exhibition contains a variety of objects, graphics, music and moving images including postcards and guidebooks, clothing, paperweights and snow globes, jigsaw puzzles, horse brasses, toasting forks and even a stamp from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan that shows Disney characters Mickey Mouse and Pluto at Stonehenge. There is also a quantity of souvenir china – some more attractive than others. Once visitors have viewed the exhibition they can vote for the item they consider to be in the worst possible taste!

Youngsters are encouraged to be ‘Inspired by Stonehenge’, and are invited to send in photographs of their own Stonehenge models for display in the Museum over the summer.

The exhibition has been jointly put together by Wiltshire Heritage Museum and Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum and was funded by a grant from the HLF. As part of the exhibition a number of special events have been planned to involve the local community more closely with local heritage and encourage them to visit historical sites and museums. Julian Richards will be presenting a lecture ‘Souvenirs of Stonehenge, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ at Devizes Town Hall on 18 July at 2.30pm. The Museum’s Summer Family Day on 2 August will have events and activities linked to Stonehenge.

The exhibition is on display in our Art and Temporary Exhibition galleries until Sunday 20 September 2009.