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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 1d

Autumn always paints Pontefract Castle in so many colours!

Here's some of what is on show around the grounds:
🌸 Cosmos
🫐 Woody nightshade
🍄 Shaggy inkcaps and glistening inkcaps

#Autumn #AutumnColours

A cluster of large shiny red woody nightshade berries

Two short wide capped golden yellowy brown mushrooms

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 3d

We've got a new website! 🥳

Check it out at museumsandcastles.wakefield.gov.uk

A photograph from the 1980s in Wakefield. A person is dressed as a 1980s computer mascot, wearing a costume covering their torso and face with with their bare legs sticking out the bottom. The 'computer' is giving two women leaflets saying 'we're here to help'.

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 10d

After 1485, Sandal Castle fell into disrepair. Surveys in 1538, 1545, 1564, and 1565–66 documented its increasing decay, By the 17th century, most of the stonework was in ruins. Briefly re-fortified during the Civil Wars, the castle was surrendered OTD 1 October 1645. A

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 16d

We thought so! 🐶

Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 16d

We know, it's a strange one! We don't have much more information about Rosie's history or her taxidermy process. All we know is she entered the collection in around 1960.

It must have been quite an interesting conversation..!

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 16d

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is animals!

Taxidermy is art, right? A taxidermied beloved pet dog from the 1900s is definitely art.

Rosie *is* art.

A taxidermied small white poodle wearing her collar, in a wood and glass display case

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

Wakefield Libraries @wflibraries.bsky.social · 20d

On this day in 1905 the original Pontefract Library opened.

Due to lack of space and growing demand for books, the library moved to a newer building next door in 1975. The old library is now home to Pontefract Museum.

@wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social
@handhyorkshire.bsky.social

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 23d

and on loan from The Hepworth Wakefield.

You can dig deeper into Pontefract Castle's past with our interactive version of this painting! wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com/p/pontefract...

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Pontefract Castle Interactive Painting

Explore the history of Pontefract Castle through this interactive version of Alexander Keirincx's painting!

wakefieldmuseumsandlibraries.blogspot.com

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · 23d

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is impressive buildings.

How much more impressive can you get than a castle? 🏰

This is Alexander Keirincx's painting of Pontefract Castle. Keirincx was commissioned to paint it by Charles I around 1640.

On display at Pontefract Museum (1 / 2)

$A large oil painting of Pontefract Castle in its heyday in the 1600s, in shades of yellow, orange, brown and green. It is a large impressive fortress with six visible towers, a turreted keep, gatehouse and outbuildings. Some local people and livestock are pictured working the land in the fields surrounding the castle.$

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 4

Thanks, so do we!

Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 4

Photograph of Alice Gostick's pottery class, 1919 - © The Henry Moore Foundation @hmileeds.bsky.social

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 4

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is ceramics.

These pieces are by influential Castleford art teacher Alice Gostick. They are in her 'Peasant Pottery' style.

Gostick taught at Castleford Grammar School and delivered evening classes. Among her students was a young Henry Moore.

A ceramic sugar bowl handpainted by Alice Gostick with a colourful leaf and branch design

Alice Gostick's makers mark on the base of the sugar bowl

A handpainted ceramic coffee set with jug, beaker, milk jug and cups. The design featured simple blue squares with a green cross and white squares with blue spirals.

Alice Gostick and a group of her art students seated, holding their pottery pieces, in the early 1900s

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 3

Power to the bee-ple! ✊🐝

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 3

Hello there, little one! 🐝

Our district is well known for its mining heritage.

But, did you know that Pontefract Castle is home to chocolate mining bees? ⛏🐝

The holes in the side of the rampart (to the left of the main drive) are made by these busy bees.

Here's one of our tiny fuzzy residents!

A chocolate mining bee, a brown-yellow fuzzy bee with black eyes and black antennae, popping its head out of one of the holes its made in the soil

Dried mud on the side of the rampart, below a layer of grass, featuring lots of small holes made by chocolate mining bees

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 2

Is it too late to enter the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards on Jack Hulme's behalf..?

#ComedyWildlife

A large horse (probably a pit pony) on a rowing boat being rowed across the canal by two men in the 1940s or 1950s

A goat standing on its hind legs looking like it's going to headbutt a child, who is grinning and holding his hands up in defence. Taken in the 1940s or 1950s

A man riding his bike along a relatively empty street in Fryston, with a dog (possibly a Jack Russell) stood on a board on the front of the bike

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 2

It's the return of the Great British Bake Off tonight! 🥳 🍰

We love this photo Jack Hulme took of his wife Rose, prepping ingredients for some tasty treats.

You can also browse more of Jack Hulme's photos at bit.ly/JackHulmePho...

(please note this webpage can take a moment to load)

#GBBO

Rose Hulme as a young woman, in an apron, prepping baking ingredients at home in the 1940s or 1950s

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Sep 2

Is it too late to enter the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards on Jack Hulme's behalf..?

#ComedyWildlife

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

Wakefield Libraries @wflibraries.bsky.social · Sep 1

🦋 We are delighted to announce that the Sandal Library caterpillars are starting to hatch into butterflies!

Come down to the library to see them for yourself!

#Butterflies #Libraries #Insects

@wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social
@wakefieldcivicsoc.bsky.social

Butterflies and chrysalis inside a netted carrier

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Aug 28

"The gentle wash of the watercolours suggesting the passage of time"

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is time.

Michelle Duxbury provides #AudioDescription of Cynthia Kenny's 'Garden Street, Wakefield' (1971).

Kenny captured snapshots of the Wakefield cityscape in her work. Some have been lost to time.

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Aug 28

"The gentle wash of the watercolours suggesting the passage of time"

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is time.

Michelle Duxbury provides #AudioDescription of Cynthia Kenny's 'Garden Street, Wakefield' (1971).

Kenny captured snapshots of the Wakefield cityscape in her work. Some have been lost to time.

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

Story Trails @storytrailsuk.bsky.social · Aug 21

Even more walks across the District are also available and easily bookable via www.storytrails.co.uk
Once Upon a Story-Trail has been supported by Wakefield Council Culture Grants and Our Heritage, Our Stories @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social @nationallottery.bsky.social

Story Trails

Story Trails is dedicated to creating fun, energising and engaging content for people of all ages.

www.storytrails.co.uk

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Reposted by Wakefield Museums and Castles

History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · Aug 21

If you are anywhere near Wakefield this long bank holiday weekend don't forget that its fascinating chantry chapel is open 10-4 each day. Why not combine it with a visit to nearby Sandal Castle @wflibraries.bsky.social @wfdhistsoc.bsky.social @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social

History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · Aug 2

The late August Bank Holiday weekend, Wakefield’s historic Chantry Chapel will be open to visitors from 10am to 4pm each day. It’s the perfect chance to explore one of my favourite short urban heritage walk routes, from the medieval chapel, across the centuries, all the way to the ruins of

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Aug 19

Cameras shown:
- Field camera, late 1800s / early 1900s
- Kodak no.2 red Brownie model F camera, 1930s
- "Model 22, Ensign Midget", 1935
- Kodak Duaflex II twin lens, 1950s
- Kodak EK4 instant print camera, 1976
- Zenit PM4730 model, for the 1980 Olympics
- Kodak "Fun Flash", early 2000s

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Aug 19

You're engaging with the digitalisation of photography today on social media, with many other thousands of images.

All of this means the 21st century will likely be the most photographed yet!

#NationalPhotographyDay

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Kodak "Fun Flash" single use camera, early 2000s

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Wakefield Museums and Castles @wakefieldmuseums.bsky.social · Aug 19

Today most households own a camera of some sort.

The development and integration of digital cameras into modern society has been rapid.

#NationalPhotographyDay

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Kodak EK4 instant print camera from the 1970s. It is like an older even more retro version of a polaroid camera, in a rectangular plastic frame

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