Plans for proposed Manx Museum, Douglas
Date(s): 1905
Creator(s): Rigby, Armitage
Scope & Content: Set of three plans illustrating a scheme conceived by Rigby at the request of Philip Kermode, acting for the Manx Museum and Ancient Monuments Trustees.
Administration / Biographical History: Regarding the history of the scheme, there is no mention of Armitage Rigby's proposed museum plans within the minutes of the Manx Museum and Ancient Monuments Trustees from April until the end of 1905 (no minutes are recorded from December 1900 until April 1905).
Two letters from Armitage Rigby to Philip Kermode (within deposit MS 08979) throw light on the context. On 19 July 1904 Rigby writes, 'I have your letter of 16th inst. in reference to proposed Manx Museum. I shall be pleased to help you in any way I can and will draft plans.' He explains that should the building be erected he would likely make charges but otherwise will help on the scheme without renumeration. He notes that Kermode has not mentioned a probable site, 'I suppose you have not got as far as that yet. This affects the lighting arrangements a good deal but of course I can make provisional plans for the present purpose.'
The next is a covering letter dated 18 March 1905 which reads, 'I am sending by this post some sketch plans for the proposed Museum which I hope you will like. I showed them to the Governor this morning and he was much pleased with them. I also suggested the site near the R.C. Church which also took his fancy. Of course the exact arrangement of windows etc will have to depend on the site & aspect'.
The scheme was not adopted and forms part of exploratory work undertaken from 1886 to settle on a Manx Museum. In 1896 discussions were held with the various Town Commissioners about establishing a national, insular museum, after which Trustees adopted a memorandum on 16 December 1896 specifying the contents of a museum collection, the building to have 5,000 square feet minimum with provision for future enlargement if possible and the cost of building and fittings to be not less than £5,000. Such an institution should be national, not municipal, provided for partly by a grant from the revenue and partly by the rates of the town in which it is established with maintenance of about £250 to come from the revenue, not rates. The museum should be in Douglas, with all treasure-trove found in the Island allowed to remain permanently in such museum by arrangement with Crown authorities (for summary see first report of the Trustees, May 1906).
Possible museum sites were inspected and enquired after; Castle Rushen was selected to be used (over the old Rolls Office, Castletown) as a temporary base pending the creation of a permanent museum. So it remained until early November 1922 when the old Noble's Isle of Man Hospital on Crellins Hill, Douglas opened as the Manx Museum.
Language: eng
Extent: 3 items
Item name: architectural plans
Collection: Maps & Plans Archive
Level: FILE
ID number: P.3732
Record class: Private