Collecting Stories

Beginning as a practical memorial to Prince Albert, the Devon and Exeter Albert Memorial provided an integrated museum, art gallery, library and Schools of Art and Science. In 1899 the future King George V and Queen Mary opened a new wing and allowed the institution to become the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. This fascinating museum, with its extensive collections, underwent a major programme of expansion, refurbishment and modernisation thanks to a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Collecting Stories highlights some of the museum’s treasures in the key areas of the collection, such as Fine and Decorative Art, Archaeology and Local History, Natural History and Geology, as well as the internationally important World Cultures collection. From the creation of the museum and early collecting to recent acquisitions, this is a much-needed book on an important and popular museum.