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Ipswich Museums
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From mammoths to masterpieces, we’re wild for history, buzzing about art, and all about adventure! Explore Christchurch Mansion and (in 2026) Ipswich Museum & Ipswich Art Gallery. 🖼️🦣
Give your eyes a treat! Colour Shape Pattern is packed with bold shapes, vivid colours and playful patterns: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern
January 5, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Magritte, Hockney, Delaunay… and a brand new piece by Lily Hammond. They’re all in Colour Shape Pattern. Don’t miss it: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern
December 15, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Fancy a splash of colour? Step into Colour Shape Pattern and enjoy bold, bright, feel-good art. On now at Christchurch Mansion: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern
December 8, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Bright colours. Big names. Brilliant vibes. Colour Shape Pattern is open at Christchurch Mansion, come see Hockney, Magritte, and more: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern
December 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Fierce, fearless and full of colour, Grace Hartigan (1922–2008) brought raw emotion and electric energy to every canvas she touched. A leading figure of American Abstract Expressionism, Hartigan was one of the few women at the heart of New York’s post-war art scene.
November 24, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This 18th-century youth is meant to be a graceful little figure holding flowers, but his expression suggests he’s just been told something mildly shocking. The sash and floral base make him look elegant, yet that wide-eyed stare makes it hard not to laugh.
November 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
This portrait shows Charles Vesey of Hintlesham Hall, the eldest of 6 sons. The Vesey family had lived at Hintlesham since the reign of Henry VIII, and Charles inherited the estate. The portrait shows him with long, slightly curly hair and lace at the collar - fashionable details of the late 1600s.
November 21, 2025 at 9:01 AM
A clock still marks the hour, now part of Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre. And though the trolleybus wires are long gone, the street remains a key part of Ipswich’s town centre life.

Did you ever visit the Picture House? Or queue under those awnings for a sale at H. Samuel?
November 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
And here’s how our #ThrowbackThursday photo, Tavern Street, looks today! While the shops may have changed, some of the architectural bones are still there.
November 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Step into 1930s Ipswich for today’s #ThrowbackThursday. This scene features some iconic names, and of course, that striking clock. Overhead wires hint at the trolleybuses, and the Picture House sign draws the eye.

Share your best guesses and we’ll reveal the modern view this afternoon!
November 20, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Britain was known for exporting hunting hounds to the Roman world, yet figurines of dogs are rare. This is the only one so far found in Suffolk. The blunt-nosed features suggest a bull terrier type. A reminder that people then, just as now, kept dogs not only for work but for companionship.
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This small bronze dog was found at Charsfield, near Wickham Market. It dates to the Roman period and wears a collar, showing it was likely a domestic pet. Dogs played many roles in Roman life. They were hunters, guards, and companions, but they also symbolised loyalty and protection.
November 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Born to a family steeped in creativity, Ben broke with tradition, gravitating towards European modernism. He rubbed shoulders with Mondrian, Picasso, and Barbara Hepworth (whom he later married) and forged a style that was as much about form as feeling.
November 17, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Ben Nicholson (1894–1982) spent his life distilling the world into lines, textures and shapes. A leading figure in British modernism, Nicholson's art moved from still-lifes and landscapes to stark white reliefs and abstract compositions – but always with a sense of balance, rhythm and restraint.
November 17, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This gold and garnet mount shows the upper body of a bird of prey, its beak curving, neck narrowed, and eye once set with a red stone. Thin gold walls created tiny cells for garnet inlays, framed by beaded wire. It likely decorated something high status, from dress fittings to a sword hilt.
November 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Pop by Christchurch Mansion on Tue 18 Nov, 3.30–4pm to meet Sir Tony Robinson. He’ll be signing his new novel, House of Wolf, and copies will be on sale at the event. Come early if you can, say hello, and get your book signed. See you there!
November 15, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Free drop‑in to handle Anglo‑Saxon replicas, chat to specialists and explore objects at Christchurch Mansion on Tue 18 Nov! Sir Tony Robinson will stop by for photos near closing: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/events/meet-...
November 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Homes were being cleared, new builds appearing, and the industrial skyline watching overhead. Today, it’s almost unrecognisable, replaced with leafy trees, driveways, and cars instead of cobbles. The last house on the right is still standing though - spot the same angled window and tiled roof!
November 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Earlier for #ThrowbackThursday we gave you a glimpse of Currier’s Lane, Ipswich captured in 1934 and facing south toward Princes Street. This small lane was caught between decline and renewal.
November 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Let’s rewind to 1934 for this week’s #ThrowbackThursday!

This now-vanished section of houses on this street once buzzed with life. Look closely and you’ll spot an active demolition site and a brand-new home tucked in the corner.
Here’s a clue: at least one house still stands today.
November 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Born in Pennsylvania in 1898 to a family of artists, Calder trained as an engineer before turning to sculpture. His background shows in his work, where arcs, loops and abstract forms are counterweighted to glide through space. His mobiles are playful, with bold colours and shapes that seem to dance.
November 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Alexander Calder didn’t just create art; he set it in motion. Best known for inventing the mobile, Calder transformed sculpture from something solid and static into a balancing act of colour, shape and air. The result? Art that moves, literally, with a life of its own.
November 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Before mobiles, making a call meant finding a public telephone. Signs like this enamel one told you exactly where you could do it. It wasn’t just convenient - it was essential. People used them to call a taxi, check in with family, or send a quick message before heading home.
November 9, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Ever noticed how one tiny detail can do all the talking? In the 1650s, a tulip was the ‘it’ accessory. This portrait of Henrietta Jermyn, later married to Henry Gage in 1655, pairs family coats‑of‑arms with pearls and ringlets to signal status.
November 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Some of Giacometti’s drawings are currently on display at Colour Shape Pattern, our latest exhibition at Christchurch Mansion. They might surprise you: away from the heavy bronze forms, his works on paper show a rapid, searching line – obsessive in repetition, but always elegant.
November 7, 2025 at 9:01 AM