{"id":1964,"date":"2026-01-10T12:53:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T12:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ruralmuseums.org.uk\/?p=1964"},"modified":"2026-01-10T12:53:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T12:53:04","slug":"rethinking-the-rural-life-museum-irons-pots-and-griddles-oh-my","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ruralmuseums.org.uk\/?p=1964","title":{"rendered":"Rethinking the Rural Life Museum: \u201cIrons, Pots and Griddles oh my!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image credit: the Food Museum<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2025, we invited everyone to join us to hear how two RMN member organisations are approaching Audit and Rationalisation in their museums \u2013 one at the start of their journey with small objects, the other further through but with larger items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ulster Folk Museum (UFM) began collecting many years before the creation and opening of the UFM in 1964 to the public. Initially a department of Folk Life within the Ulster Museum, the museum opened with a large collection already. The museum’s collection grew to include many original vernacular buildings which needed to be furnished authentically. Many decades without a collecting policy led to very limited storage and collections which do not fit in with their current and potential future needs. They need radical rationalisation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Food Museum recognised that it had a collection that had been growing since the 1950s, with poor documentation and deteriorating storage. To keep the museum relevant and ensure that visitors discover something new and are challenged during their visit it was essential to get the back of house in order. With 40,000 objects, a small staff team, a global pandemic and water coming through the roof, they had to find a way to record and make their collections knowledge accessible so they could develop the museum for the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n