Ancient House Museum in Thetford celebrated its 100th birthday on December 11. Curator Oliver Bone explains what it meant to be there 100 years after the opening
Community members, funders, supporters and museum staff gathered at the Ancient House Museum of Thetford on December 11, exactly 100 years since the the lively, community-centred museum opened its doors. The occasion saw the formal opening of new displays telling the story of Maharajah Duleep Singh whose son, Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, gifted Ancient House to the town.
The celebrations began with a short play about the founding of the museum from members of the museum’s History Club who portrayed the different characters involved in this important moment for the town.
Chris Starkie represented The National Lottery Heritage Fund which, thanks to the support of Lottery players, is the principal funder of the Prince Frederick’s Thetford Museum project which includes the new displays and the centenary programme.
The special celebration was capped off by photographs taken outside the museum including reenacting the archive photograph from the museum’s opening in 2024.
Oliver Bone, Curator of Ancient House since 1988, says: ‘It felt very special to be there exactly 100 years after the opening and to stand where the museum founders stood, including Prince Frederick Duleep Singh. I was very pleased that we were able to involve children and young people from the museum’s after-school history clubs in the anniversary event. Perhaps these are the budding historians and museum curators of the future as we look forward to the next 100 years.’
The new displays combine personal objects owned by the Duleep Singh family, including items such as Prince Frederick’s sandwich box and writing case, alongside new interpretation which brings the Maharajah’s remarkable story to life in fresh ways for visitors to the museum.
This includes intricate models of three of the rooms at Elveden Hall, the Maharajah’s country house – the Dining Room, Sitting Room and Library – which are on display in the museum’s reception area. Created by model maker Ethan Goodbody from Mon Studios, the miniature room settings reflect the rich Anglo-Punjab heritage of Elveden Hall and give visitors an insight into the Hall as the Duleep Singh family would have known it.
The styles and motifs employed in Duleep Singh’s transformation of Elveden Hall have also provided the inspiration for the designs of the new displays, with purple, cream and gold accents reflecting the Hall’s rich decoration.
All the interpretation has been created in close consultation with key partners over many years, many of whom are from the Sikh community, to ensure accuracy and authenticity throughout.
Guests at last week’s event also enjoyed the museum’s centenary exhibition A History of Ancient House in 100 Objects which tells the story of the development of the museum and its collections. Curated by local schools and community groups the exhibition features ten items which entered the museum collection during each decade the museum has been open, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Since its founding, this beautiful early-Tudor merchant’s house has grown into the popular community hub it is today, with a collection that now numbers over 7,000 objects relating to the history of Thetford and the Brecks.
Together with the new displays, the exhibition is part of the first phase of the centenary programme. The second phase will be developed through 2025, with elements opening in early 2026 including a temporary exhibition about Prince Frederick Duleep Singh and new displays on the Maharajah’s children in the museum’s upstairs spaces.
A special programme of events and activities throughout the year will also mark this important moment in Ancient House’s history.
Visit ancienthouse.norfolk.gov.uk
Featured image (credit Norfolk County Council): Recreating the 1924 opening photograph with (l to r): Cllr John Ward, Chair of Norfolk Joint Museums Committee; Cllr Robert Kybird, Chair of the Breckland Area Museums Committee; Chris Starkie, The National Lottery Heritage Fund; Glynis Irish; Sat Bance; Oliver Bone, Curator, Ancient House Museum; Linda Harvey, Mayoress; Melissa Hawker, Learning Officer, Ancient House Museum; Cllr Chris Harvey, Mayor of Thetford; Peter Bance; Robin Hanley, Assistant Head of Museums, Norfolk Museums Service; Steve Miller, Director of Culture & Heritage, Head of Norfolk Museums Service.
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