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Dark clouds over Derby Industrial Museum
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Less than two hours after this picture was taken, the Museum closed its doors - possibly for the last time. The museum is run by the City Council and the closure is a simple cost cutting exercise as part of the current economic downturn. I spoke with one of the attendants, and it would appear that the current director of museums and art galleries considers it to be too much nostalgia, and has no interest in industrial exhibits. I was under the impression that the whole point of museums is nostalgia.
The museum houses an important collection of Rolls Royce aero-engines, both piston and jet, manufactured in Derby. There is also good coverage of the development of railway manufacturing, textiles and ceramics, all of which were of significance to the development of the City of Derby.
The building is a former silk mill, dating originally from the 1770s, when it was water powered, but with a variety of later rebuildings and extensions. It is included in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
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