Barrow’s famous moose on display for special celebration

The huge moose’s head is among the most fondly-remembered artefacts from Barrow Museum’s previous home above the town’s library.

It will be on display for one week only at Duke Street from March 27 to April 1 as part of a multimedia installation exploring memories of the old museum Pass’s Department Store and The Public Hall.

Walney resident Margaret, one of the old museum’s regular visitors whose memories will be among the sounds in the exhibition, said: "It was above the door as you went in, enormous it was. As a little child, going up the stairs it was quite something."

The old Barrow Museum above the library. (Image: Submitted)

Margaret’s among many Barrovians whose memories of Duke Street have been recorded as part of the Re: Discover Barrow project funded by Historic England.

"We wanted to make this installation inspired by those conversations," said Andrew Deakin of the Barrow sound art organisation Full of Noises.

"A lot of people remembered the museum above the library as a special place and wanted to see some of its treasures again.

"We’re aiming to recapture the random and quirky atmosphere and spark conversations about what a museum should be."

Alongside 20 museum loans including a large Penny Farthing will be installations inspired by Pass’s Department Store which traded on Duke Street until 1962.

Pass's advertisement. (Image: Barrow Archive Centre and Local Studies Library)

Memories of dances at the nearby Public Hall will also feature with scented smoke and ambient sounds plus silent video and animation from artist John Hall featuring the Margaret Hetherington School of Dancing. He has captured the stories of former Barrow Mayor Pat Jones too who met her husband on the Public Hall dancefloor.

The museum’s infamous Mummy’s Hand will be digitally conjured and visitors will travel through time with some green screen magic, transporting themselves into historic pictures of Duke Street from the Sankey and Francis Frith photo collections.

Pass's Department Store (Image: Submitted)

“It’s fun to see yourself in sepia and walk with the people on the street, including some very naughty-looking lads in caps,” said Chris Dennett of Artfly, whose screen has recently been helping put people into the watercolours of Minnie Pratt at The Dock Museum.

Charlotte Hawley, The Dock Museum’s Collections and Exhibitions Manager said: "I am so excited to see the Moose head on display myself and to hear people's memories of it. It is what makes my job so special."