National Museums Scotland listings 4 January – 15 February 2009
Highlights
4 January – 15 February 2009
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
Salt of the Earth
National Museum of Scotland
Fri 16 October 2009 - Sun 10 Jan 2010
Free
Alan Cumming, Neve Campbell, Chris Hoy, Sharleen Spiteri, Jack White, John Byrne – just some of the faces helping shape the image of Scotland and its culture. Craig Mackay’s stunning photographs capture well-known Scots and international figures with Scottish connections. The dramatic results show a growing confidence in modern Scotland as celebrities, sporting personalities and artists spread their influence abroad. “Scotland and its people have had a profound impact on the world today. Although these are modern photographs, the title reflects the often humble and resilient nature of Scottish emigrants who have enriched the world around them over the centuries.” – Craig Mackay.
Meet Your Maker
National Museum of Scotland
Fri 29 January – 14 March 2010
Free
Meet Your Maker takes you behind the scenes of the Scottish contemporary crafts world showcasing nine makers from across Scotland. Working in situ, the makers will provide a fantastic insight into the processes behind the craft. Visitors are encouraged to chat with the makers, discuss their traditions and techniques and take away some ideas for their own creative work! There will also be the opportunity to purchase work by the makers. Featured crafts include jewellery-making, silversmithing, metal design, ceramics and glass work. A full list of makers can be found at www.nms.ac.uk/maker
Sir Jackie Stewart: World Champion – 1969, 1971, 1973
National Museum of Scotland
Free
Proud Scots, motor-racing fans and sporting enthusiasts can now speed into the National Museum of Scotland to see the famous Formula One car belonging to three times Formula One World Champion and Scottish sporting legend, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his first World Drivers’ Championship in 1969 and Scotland’s Year of Homecoming 2009, Sir Jackie has loaned his 1971 World Championship-winning Tyrrell 003 car to the Museum for up to three years. The car has won eight Grand Prix races, more than any other individual car, and is displayed alongside Sir Jackie’s 1971 Monaco Grand Prix and German Grand Prix trophies, and his famous tartan-rimmed helmet.
Gifted
National Museum of Scotland
Fri 13 November 2009 – Sun 10 January 2010
Free
We’ve got Christmas covered! Gifted brings together new work from over 20 of Scotland’s most talented craft makers with handmade, limited-edition pieces to suit all tastes and budgets. If you’re looking for a one-off present for a loved one, escape the hustle and bustle of Princes Street and shelter in our handmade haven. You might like to treat yourself while you’re there! This year’s exhibition includes ceramics, jewellery, textiles, books and more from makers such as Jaimie MacDonald, Hannah McAndrew, Anna King and Astrid Weigel. Keep an eye on our website for an updated list of our cutting-edge designers at www.nms.ac.uk/gifted.
Exhibitions
Helmand: Faces of Conflict
National War Museum
Until Sun 31 January 2010
Included in Edinburgh Castle admission
Helmand: Faces of Conflict at the National War Museum features the photography of Robert Wilson, war artist with Edinburgh’s 52 Infantry Brigade. From the faces of weary men returning from three weeks on patrol to the dusty landscape of their surroundings, Wilson captures the lives of soldiers and civilians with an unflinching sense of intimacy.
Garden Detectives
National Museum of Rural Life
Free with museum admission
What lurks at the bottom of your garden? See the natural world through the eyes of a detective. Delve into hedges, take a peek in our shed and unearth wonders from our flower beds and pond. Explore habitats, study food chains, track animals and discover what they get up to while you’re asleep! Inspired by the work of Charles Darwin to mark his 200th birthday, Garden Detectives turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Take a larger-than-life look at plants and flowers, learn fascinating facts about nature and experience all the sounds and smells of a real garden, without getting your hands dirty. Darwin200 is a national programme of events celebrating Charles Darwin’s scientific ideas and their impact on society.
Fantastic Flight
National Museum of Flight
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
Our three new hands-on galleries help you find out how aeroplanes fly, how they are built and the skills needed to fly them. Join in with over 25 activities to feel the force of lift, discover what planes are made of and test your own skills. Can you navigate your way around the world or land an aeroplane? Remember to try out the flight simulations – could you be a fighter pilot?
Get to grips with the mechanics of flight with buttons, dials, switches, propellers and wings. Look out for a Wright Brothers engine, the propeller from an aeroplane which flew over Everest and Sheila Scott’s record-breaking Piper Comanche, which she flew solo around the world. Let your imagination soar!
Fortunes of War
National Museum of Flight
New permanent exhibition
Included in museum admission
What was it like to serve at East Fortune airfield at different times in its history? Uncover the vivid human story of service at this military airfield from RAF crew, photographs, film and rare artefacts. You can see wings from an East Fortune Sopwith Cuckoo, and the original painted gate from the Royal Naval Air Station. Watch out for objects from the R34, East Fortune’s record-breaking airship, which flew to North America and back in the first-ever transatlantic crossing.
You can also discover how the airfield has changed with our interactive map, navigate an airship to find the enemy submarine and watch historic film footage. Models, aircraft parts, uniforms, and flying equipment combine to give you a very personal sense at what life was like at East Fortune.
Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories
National Museum of Scotland
Until 2011
Free
This exhibition offers the chance to discover some of the most extraordinary treasures in the care of National Museums Scotland. Featuring over 300 objects drawn from the four corners of the globe and spanning across centuries, Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories celebrates the wonder and diversity of the National Museums’ world-class collections. From a Sumatran tiger to a Victorian corset, Treasured is an eclectic mix of the spectacular, extraordinary, precious and personal. The exhibition provides a link to the Royal Museum collections during closure, casting new light on familiar objects and also giving a first glimpse of some of the objects which will feature in the redeveloped National Museum of Scotland when it re-opens in 2011.
Events/activities
National Museum of Scotland
Talks and lectures
Understanding Technology: The Real Star Wars
Thurs 21 January
Dunfermline Room
15:00 (1hr 30mins)
Free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
Join Dr Graham Spinardi of Edinburgh University as he explores the technology and politics of the US ballistic missile defence system.
Curator’s Choice: Insects in Amber
Fri 22 January
Dunfermline Room
14:00 (1hr)
£5/£4 Members free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
Andrew Ross explains how this remarkable substance preserves small delicate organisms that lived millions of years ago. Discover ambers from around the world and learn what they tell us about past insect life.
Raising the Tone: The Bagpipe and the Baroque
Mon 25 January
Off site at Royal Society of Edinburgh
18:00 (1hr)
£5/£4 Members free
Book now on 0131 225 7534
Professor Hugh Cheape explores Scotland’s national instrument. A well-deserved aura surrounds the Great Highland Bagpipe but the instrument is largely absent from material records. Learn how bagpipes from 18th and 19th century Scotland point to the influence of the European and Neo-Baroque on Scotland’s music.
In association with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Weekend events
Connect Super Science Shows
Connect gallery
Every Sat and Sun
12:15/13:15/14:15/15:15 (20mins)
Age 5+
Limited space (seating for 20)
Free
Come along to our free events every weekend in Connect. Find out about science in the real world at our Meet the Scientist events or enjoy a Super Science Show!
Free Tours: Scottish Collections
Tours leave from the Hawthornden Court meeting point:
Highlights Tour (1hr)
Daily 11:30/13:30
Themed Tour (1hr)
Daily 14:30
Family Tour (15mins)
Sat 14:00
Treasured: Wonderful Things, Amazing Stories Tour (1hr)
Tue 15:00/Fri 12:00
Information about topics for themed and family tours can be found on the museum’s information screens and on our website www.nms.ac.uk/tours.
National Museum of Flight
Supersonic Christmas
Sat 19 – Sun 20 December
12:00 – 16:00
Child £5
Come and meet Santa in his plane for a sky-high Christmas. Includes a gift from Santa!
National Museum of Rural Life
Sunday Craft Sessions
Sun 10, 24 January
14:00 -16:00 (Drop-in)
Get crafty at one of our regular sessions and make something to take away with you.
Wednesday Parent and Toddler Sessions
Wed 13, 27 January
13:00 (1hr)
Parents with pre-school children are welcome to join us. Song time, story time or craft time – come along and see which session is on, or call us on 0131 247 4369.
Museum addresses:
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian EH39 5LF
National Museum of Costume, Shambellie House, New Abbey, Dumfries, DG2 8HQ
National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0131 225 7534/ www.nms.ac.uk
Please note that National Museums Scotland (no ‘of’ or ‘the) is our corporate name. Our individual museums are called the National Museum of Scotland, National Museum of Flight, National Museum of Rural Life, National Museum of Costume and National War Museum.
Salt of the Earth: famous faces with Scottish roots, photographed by Craig Mackay. National Museum of Scotland. Until 10 January.
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