Last chance alert 🚨 Colour Shape Pattern closes 22 Feb! Come brighten your day with works from Hockney, Magritte and more: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

If Colour Shape Pattern is still on your list, now’s the time. Only a few weeks left to enjoy this burst of colour before it’s gone: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

Just 3 weeks left to see Colour Shape Pattern at Christchurch Mansion! Bold colour, striking patterns and big-name artists. Don’t miss your chance: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

Big names, bright colours and patterns you’ll want on your walls. Colour Shape Pattern is open now: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

From delicate design to big, bold splashes, Colour Shape Pattern celebrates it all. Come and explore: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

Looking for a pick-me-up? Step into Colour Shape Pattern and let the creativity do its thing: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

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

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

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

We're taking part in the @ipswichmuseums.bsky.social Christmas Tree Festival at Christchurch Mansion. Our beautifully decorated tree can be seen until 5th January. We have included some purple braille baubles, and also some doves made out of braille paper in our display.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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-...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Few artists captured the fragility of the human condition quite like Alberto Giacometti. Known for his impossibly thin, elongated figures, Giacometti’s art emerged from the trauma and uncertainty of the 20th century.

Today’s #ThrowbackThursday is the site of The Bucks Horns pub, once tucked away at the corner of Woodhouse Street and Gibson Street; roads that no longer exist. The pub also popped up in records for East Street and Cross Street in the 19th century, but by 1939, it had vanished from listings.

It’s #ThrowbackThursday and we have a challenge for you! Any guesses where this photo was taken? Back when little ones played in the street and a trip to The Bucks Horns pub was just around the corner. These streets no longer exist, but you might know the area if you've studied nearby recently.

Window committee update: lion practising welcome face, baboon in the chair, ostrich on lookout. Our diorama crowd is very invested in the builders.

Big smiles at YMCA on 29 October. Young people on our Amplify programme received their AQA Entry Level certificates in discovering local history and art skills. It was the first celebration with this group and we’re already planning more together.

Did you guess our #ThrowbackThursday? It’s St Clements Lane where it meets Angel Lane. While the corner shop has vanished, those quirky circular windows are still keeping watch. In the background, you can just spot the tower of St Clement’s Church, a fixture of this part of town for centuries.

We're heading back to 1938 for this week's #ThrowbackThursday. Can you guess where in Ipswich this photo was taken? Here's a clue: check out those circular windows on the right. They're still there today, and they look a bit like a surprised face. Answers after lunch!

These colourful jugs are all made of Mason’s Ironstone china, a type of pottery introduced in the early 19th century to compete with porcelain. On display alongside our Colour Shape Pattern exhibition at Christchurch Mansion, each jug shows off a unique flair for vivid pattern and decorative detail.

Think your morning coffee is a gamble? Try drinking from this. This eye-catching mug is a classic example of a “surprise” or “frog” mug: a cheeky form of 18th-century earthenware with a hidden resident.

Autumn’s here and the coats are coming out… even for armadillos. The screaming hairy armadillo is a small South American species with bristly hair peeking between its bony plates. When alarmed, it lets out a loud squeal - a big sound from a pocket‑sized creature.

Reveal time for our #ThrowbackThursday mystery corner. This is the junction of St Nicholas Street and Silent Street in Ipswich. The timber‑framed building with the jettied first floor is still there!

Where is it? Today’s mystery photo shows a timber‑framed corner shop with a carved corner post and a window full of cure‑alls. Street names are blurred for now, but locals might recognise the jettying first floor and those leaded windows. We’ll reveal the spot later today. 😎

William De Morgan never met a tile he didn’t want to enchant. These tiles showcase the brilliance of one of the Arts and Crafts Movement’s most restless minds. De Morgan began his career designing stained glass with William Morris, but it was in ceramics that he found full creative freedom.

Did you know that pangolins are the only mammals with scales? They're solitary and mostly nocturnal, with some climbing trees whilst others stay on the ground. They dig into ant and termite mounds and use their tongue (that can reach up to 28 inches!) to feed.

A doll with no face, on purpose. This Ukrainian motanka was handmade in Ipswich with cotton, beads and dry wheat. Motanky were made as protective talismans or toys and kept faceless so a single soul couldn’t be attached. Objects of care can be small and powerful. Do you have a good‑luck charm?

These blue and white delft tiles are more than decoration: they’re snapshots of 17th- and 18th-century taste, trade, and storytelling. Imported from the Netherlands, delftware tiles were popular for their gleaming tin-glazed surfaces and crisp cobalt designs.

Before mobiles, the household Trimphone ruled the hallway. Lighter, a long cord you could sneak round a door, and that famous electronic “warble”. Ours keeps the rotary dial and a mid‑cable connector stamped “British Telecom”, which is a nod to the days of renting your phone.

Guess the spot: George Frost’s Ipswich Docks, c.1800. Low sheds, masts and figures on the quay before the wet dock opened in 1842. On today’s Waterfront, would you place this near St Peter’s Dock, the Old Custom House or Stoke Bridge? Why?

Smoke, clay, and steady graft. This 1909 photograph shows the Brickfields in Ipswich, where thousands of handmade and machine-pressed bricks fed a town that was growing street by street.

They look like two short logs, but they’re trenails: wooden pegs that fasten heavy timbers without iron. An old label notes they were buried after a destructive event in Oct 1896 and uncovered in 1949 excavations.

The final Peep into the Past tours of 2025 are here! If you haven’t joined the Friends of Ipswich Museums yet, now’s your chance to uncover the fascinating layers of Christchurch Mansion before the season ends. Free and open to all — come take a last look before winter draws in.

International Translation Day invites us to think about how writing carries voice. This teaching scroll uses the Ge’ez script, the historic script of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Velvet walls? Not quite, but Christchurch Mansion’s Green Room comes close. What you’re looking at is flock wallpaper, the 18th-century equivalent of high-end interior design. Flock wallpaper was made by glueing wool or silk fibres (called 'flock') onto paper to mimic expensive woven fabrics.

On this date in 1066 William of Normandy landed in England. Our object link is a silver penny of William I, minted in Ipswich between 1083 and 1086.