What was it like to work for Brunel? Gilbert Blount, Tunnel Superintendent
In this blog, Jack Hayes (Collections Access Coordinator), examines a little-known archive detailing the early career of Gilbert Blount, who worked under Marc Brunel between 1840-42. Far from being the perfect job, working life at the Tunnel seems at times to have been a little disorganised, and quite stressful – though undoubtedly Blount’s experience working …
‘Such patronage as in your situation and in his may be proper’ – How Alexander Hamilton helped Marc Brunel get to England
Why would Alexander Hamilton, one of the leaders of the American Revolution, want to help Marc Brunel, a Frenchman, get to Great Britain – the former colonial power against whom the Revolution had been fought? Museum volunteer Mark Kleinman has been researching Marc Brunel’s relationship with Hamilton, and presents some first findings below. On 7 …
Brunel’s Buckles Now Sparkling Once Again, Thanks to Conservation Work
With the generous support of the Costume Society’s Daphne Bullard Grant, we were excited to invite Joanna Whalley, a metals and jewellery conservator, to the Museum to carry out conservation work on the pair of shoe buckles once owned by Marc Brunel in our collection. Donated by Brunel’s descendants in 2007, little was known about …
Brunel Museum Marketing Internship
Hello! My name is Emma Searle. I am from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA studying Communications Media & Culture. For the past three months, I have had the opportunity to intern at the Brunel Museum as their Marketing Intern. During my time here at the Brunel Museum, I have been able to work alongside the …
Brunel Museum awarded Costume Society’s Daphne Bullard Grant for Brunel’s Buckles Project
We are very pleased to announce that the Brunel Museum has been awarded the Costume Society’s Daphne Bullard Grant 2024. We are very grateful to the Costume Society, who previously supported the Museum in 2022 with an Elizabeth Hammond Grant, to enable conservation work on a Thames Tunnel kerchief. Without their continued support, much of …
Did you create a tile for the Ship of Blueprints in 2004?
We’re seeking the child artists who were involved in the creation of the Ship of Blueprints on the Musuem site in 2004. The Ship of Blueprints is a community-led artwork. It was made in 2004 with artist Martin Cottis and Liz Leyh, made with local children from Adams Gardens and Swan Road estates. It currently sits outside the …
We’re reinventing the Brunel Museum!
We’re reinventing the Brunel Museum for 2025! The Brunel Museum has announced that it will close in September 2024 for their Brunel Museum Reinvented project, thanks to a £1.85million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project will see the site transformed to a more inclusive and accessible space to tell …
Brunel Museum Reinvented – Your Questions Answered
We’re excited to be reinventing the Brunel Museum in time for the 200th anniversary of the Thames Tunnel in 2025! We know there will be lots of questions along the way. We’ve tried to answer the most commonly answered ones below, but if you have any more questions about the project, please email us on …
Work Experience at The Brunel Museum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BflQn8jyaM Hello, we are Ismael and Jake, and we have come from Haberdashers’ Borough Academy and Bacon’s College for our work experience here at the Brunel Museum. During our time here, we have learnt a lot about the history of the museum and the artifacts it contains. When we first arrived, we learnt about the …
The Brunel Museum launches a new audioguide!
Last week, the Museum launched a new audioguide which allows visitors to learn in-depth information about items on display – all for free. Next time you visit, why not try it out? All you’ll need to do is scan the QR code next to the objects to be taken to a dedicated webpage where you …