Five thousand years of musical heritage from 200 UK collections have been brought together for the first time in a project led by the Royal College of Music – and Milton Keynes Museum is playing its role.
More than 70 items from the Wolverton-based history hub are included in the major new website which documents 20,000 historically significant musical instruments.
MIMIM-UK is a virtual museum featuring sound, pictures and information about the UK's most important instruments. Examples from Milton Keynes Museum include a flute (circa 1790), a century old guitar-zither, a 1913 triangle from Hanslope and a wooden rattle (1939).
Other items of note include a mandolin, accordion, symphonium, gramophone, and a cheeky clapping monkey automaton!
Kazoos, castanets and harmonicas and even handbells also figure, together with the museum's ever-popular pianola.
“We are incredibly proud to be able to share our wonderful collection of instruments with people who otherwise might not be able to enjoy them,” said museum director Bill Griffiths.
“It's fabulous to be included in this new online tool courtesy of the Royal College of Music, and shows the historical importance of those items in our care.
“Naturally it is worth making a song and dance about!”
Gabriele Rossi Rognoni, curator of the Royal College of Music Museum said: “These instruments are an important part of our national heritage. It is tremendously exciting to enable so many people to connect with these beautiful and fascinating objects in a myriad of new ways.”
The full collection can be viewed at: www.minim.ac.uk
(Search collections and Milton Keynes Museum for the full list)
For more information visit the museum's website here
Winter opening hours: 11am-4.30pm (Saturday & Sunday)
Address: Milton Keynes Museum McConnell Drive
Wolverton Milton Keynes
Sat-Nav it: MK12 5EL
Standard admission prices apply – which give you FREE entry for the following 12 months when Gift Aid is given; adults £9, child £6, retired & unwaged £7.
A family ticket (admitting two adults and up to four children) is £26.
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