YORK’S Castle Museum is famous for being a museum of… well… everyday things.

So it is appropriate that it plans to inclyude some objects from the Covid pandemic in its collection. And it wants your help to choose them...

The museum began life more than 80 years ago as a repository for Pickering GP Dr John Kirk’s amazing collection of everyday objects accumulated during his rounds in rural Yorkshire.

He called them ‘bygones’ – and they included everything from horse bridles and milking stools to apple corers, snuff boxes, bottle corkers, insurance company firemarks, and even police truncheons.

There was nothing particularly unusual about many of them. But the foresighted Dr Kirk realised that they represented a way of life that was fast disappearing as the Victorian age drew to a close.

The museum’s famous recreated street, Kirkgate, is named after Dr Kirk, of course. And his philosophy of collecting objects that capture everyday life continues at the museum to this day.

The museum – which will be reopening next Wednesday (May 19) with a series of guided tours – has put out a call for the people of York to suggest objects and memories from the Covid pandemic that it should take into its permanent collection.

A selection of fancy facemasks, perhaps? A bottle of alcoholic gel? Lockdown signs, an oxygen mask, a set of nurse’s scrubs… it wants you to decide.

Helen Thornton, curator of social history at York Museums Trust, said: “This pandemic has affected so many of us in many different ways. Everyone has had different experiences and we felt it was important to ask the public how they would like us to represent these times in our museum collections.

“We hope people will get involved and help us choose the new items to ensure they give real insight into the lives of people in and around York during the pandemic.”

Helen added: “This is the first time we’ve used social media as a tool for acquiring objects into the collection, but since being closed we’ve grown our online audience significantly and are excited to see how it will work on these platforms.

“It’s been an historical period, and we hope this collecting project will help future generations understand and learn about these challenging times.”

To have your say on which key Covid objects should be taken into the permanent collection, all you have to do is fill out a short online survey here: yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/covid-19-objects/

You will be asked which objects you feel represent the universal experience of Covid-19, and these will be taken to a public poll on social media with the top five objects being acquired into York Castle Museum’s permanent collection.

As well as physical objects, the museum is also keen to hear people’s thoughts and reflections and how people managed to stay creative during the difficult year.

“It’s been an historical period, and we hope this collecting project will help future generations understand and learn about these challenging times,” Helen said.

Museum reopens

The Castle Museum will be re-opening for guided tours only from Wednesday.

The new tours aim to look at different aspects of the museum’s collections and shed new light on them.

York Press:

Guided tours of York Castle Museum's Kirkgate will be available from Wednesday...

The tours, which will each have only a small number of people to ensure social distancing, will cover everything from the history of York Castle to witchcraft, the museum’s nationally significant fashion and textile collections – and tours of Kirkgate that look at the history of the shops in the street.

Fiona Burton, public engagement manager for York Museums Trust, said: “We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to the museum next week.

“Whether you have been before or are a new visitor, the tours are packed full of insight and nuggets of information to help visitors experience the collections and displays in a completely new way. 

“They include a special family tour of Kirkgate, designed for those with children five to 16. This tour was really popular when we ran it last year, and includes family friendly facts, such as why a Devil lurks outside the printers and why taking your 'weasel' to the pawnbrokers was a weekly occurrence for many!

“With all of the tours, we have put in place a range of measures to make sure we can welcome you back in the safest way possible.”

Tickets for tours MUST be booked in advance at yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/york-castle-museum-tours/