While reading Museum News, I came across an article that made my heart skip a beat. Bexhill Museum of Costume and Social History in East Sussex, UK - which I have not thought about for years, had a large gift of £40,000 left to them by one of their dedicated volunteers, the late Edna North. I not only had the opportunity to visit this quaint little treasure that lies along the southern coastline of England, but volunteer there for four amazing months. Although I haven't been there since 2003, being a fellow volunteer with a special connection to the museum, I was particularly touched by her gesture.Today I felt the urge to reminisce. Afterall, Bexhill Museum was one of the reasons I became interested in museum work in the first place. In my eyes, what was so striking about the museum was that it was completely run by volunteers who were mainly retired ladies that lived in the town. They were an inspiration in how they poured their blood, sweat and tears into maintaining the museum and for sharing what I like to call their passion for historic fashion.
The museum was quite small in size and was literally just four open rooms that ran a straight line down the building (as you can see from the map on their website).The storage room was closed off by a curtain and there were textile boxes by the dozens just bursting at the seams. I recall the collection of eighteenth-century garments which I admired while helping with an inventory. This included rare examples of baby corsets, mens jackets and breeches as well as the clothing of royalty.
It's amazing to see just how much a museum can mean to a volunteer. It goes both ways in that volunteers really are the foundation of the museum because of the invaluable work they do. By remembering my positive experience at Bexhill Museum, I will never lose sight of this.
Photo: The entrance to the Bexhill Museum of Costume and Social History, 2003, taken by me.
