We at the Banffshire Maritime and Heritage Association in partnership wth the Banff Preservation and Heritage Society and Aberdeenshire Council want to support Banff Museum and encourage others i.e. locals and visitors to do the same.  The exhibits in the museum haven't changed for many years and the visitor numbers have been low.  Our two groups have had talks with the management of the museum and hope to assist the museum in making it better in the future. 

If you'd like to support Banff Museum, you can do by simply e-mailing the following address, and leave your name and where you live:

friendsofbanffmuseum@yahoo.co.uk

We are looking to build a list of supporter's names.

The Museum of the Banff Institution for Science, Literature, and the Arts was founded in August 1828 by James Christie (1774 to 1854) solicitor, John Pringle (1785 to 1853) sheriff-substitute, and Rev. James Smith (1800 to 1853) maths teacher. 

It was first located at No. 9 Old Market Place (Built 1780), but was re-located in 1837-8 to the new academy building in Institution Terrace. 

Banff Museum is the oldest museum in Scotland north of Perth (Perth museum opened in 1824), and once was held in as high a regard as museums in our Scottish cities. 

The museum was re-located to a purpose built building built in High Street in 1902, which was part funded by Scotsman Andrew Carnegie, the richest man in the world at the time.

Banff is famous for its silversmiths, and inside Banff Museum a collection of Banff silver can be seen.  The BBC and the British Museum currently have a partnership regarding a project titled 'A History of the World in 100 objects'.   A Banff silver teapot by an unknown Banff silversmith c1715 to 1720 is one of the oldest surviving silver teapots in Scotland is featured in this project, and the teapot can be seen in Banff Museum.

See the teapot at http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/L-dD7M-jTb-q6xYKtogFJw

 Link to Aberdeenshire Council site re Banff Museum:

http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/museums/visit/locations/banff.asp

 

One of the most interesting exhibits in Banff Museum is the Deskford Carnyx War Trumpet.  This item is a bronze iron age trumpet (War horn) depicting a  ‘Boars Head’, which was found at Leicheston Farm near Deskford, Banffshire in 1816.  The original is kept in the National Museum of Scotland; however a replica can be seen today in Banff Museum.  Being approximately 2000 years old, it is the oldest surviving musical instrument in Scotland.  It is only one of five found in the whole of Europe. 

Drawing of the trumpet is by Rosemary Sanderson, Banff Museum Curator.