Hastings Museum and Art Gallery’s 125th birthday celebrations were a great success on Wednesday (16th August). It marked 125 years to the day that Hastings’ first public museum opened, on 16th August 1892, with a recreation of the original opening ceremony at 3.30pm, the time the first museum was opened.
Cllr Kim Forward, deputy leader of Hastings Borough Council and the lead member for culture, which includes the museum, explained :- “Our first museum opened in the Brassey Institute, in rooms provided by the then Hastings Corporation. It moved to John’s Place in Bohemia Road in 1928, where it continues to be managed by the council.
“The birthday celebrations were great, the weather was kind to us, and a lot of people made a real effort to dress up and recreate the Victorian atmosphere of the original opening day. It was really good to see so many visitors there, not just invited guests but many members of the public too, who all seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
“The museum is a fantastic asset for the town, and well worth a visit.”