An afternoon packed with family activities in the new look Workhouse Museum in Derry’s Waterside tomorrow.
The event, which is suitable for children of all ages, will host free Victorian themed arts and crafts, and will provide children with the opportunity to create their own Victorian peg doll or spinning Thaumatrope.
The afternoon is being hosted by Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service in celebration the celebration of European Heritage Open Days.
The exhibition space is used to depict the origins of the Workhouse in the city, a project by the Museum Service’s Collection Skills Initiative trainee, Heather Taylor.
The Workhouse, situated on Glendermott Road, opened on 10 November, 1840, and was built to house 800 people.
During the Great Famine in 1845-1849 it was full to capacity and the most iconic figures of the Workhouse were the Master and the Matron.
Whilst in the Workhouse men carried out intense physical labour such as rock breaking and the women expected to sew and clean the building, children were given an education but they also had to work. Their food consisted of nothing more than gruel which was made from potatoes and buttermilk.
The Workhouse continued on long after the Great Famine had ended and it finally shut its doors in 1948.
Heather said: “Objects such as the Workhouse Bible, Gwyn’s Charitable Institution application forms, a spinning wheel, mangle and industrial butter churn will be on display.”
The afternoon of family fun will get under way at 2.00pm and run to 5.00pm.
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