Welcome Aboard Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry, Kendal

The Lakeland Arts' collections include a rich and varied collection of small objects that complement the boats, engines and boilers and give an insight into the people and places associated with the story of boating on Windermere.

The temporary display, Welcome Aboard: Boating on Windermere, running until 7 July at the Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry, gives a preview of some of the objects that will be displayed when the Windermere Steamboat Museum reopens. It has allowed us to display objects that would otherwise be in storage and to test how they can be interpreted through the themes being developed for the new museum. The objects on display are varied, from the steam engine from the launch Lady Elizabeth, to a waistcoat worn by William Wordsworth. One of the largest objects is the model of a Windermere racing yacht, Gwen. Looking quite small in store, she has a magnificent 8ft mast and only just fits into the temporary display space.

The display includes information on the vision for the new Museum as well as a tablet to display the latest news from the project. The comments book gives visitors the opportunity to feed back about the display and the project.

James Arnold
Assistant Curator Social History