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Online Exhibitions

Elmbridge Museum has been displaying its collections around the Borough for many years.

This website also features a series of online exhibitions, using photographs and artefacts from the collection. Here, you can find out about some of the wonderful objects in the collection and the stories they have to tell.  We're constantly adding to our online exhibition offering, to provide a fascinating glimpse into a rich variety of areas of Elmbridge's local history.

  • Colour tinted postcard of Claygate, High Street, showing view at 3-way junction - Hare Lane and Oaken Lane Historic High StreetsWhat did your local High Street used to look like? With the help of a variety of contributions from our local community, this exhibition looks at both 'then' and 'now', tracking the evolution of Elmbridge's primary shopping streets from the 50s, 60s and 70s right up to the present day.
  • The Elmbridge Diggers Trail The Elmbridge Diggers TrailIn partnership with Royal Holloway University of London's Citizens Project, we've brought to life the rebellious story of the Diggers and their leader Gerrard Winstanley. Watch our five short videos which track the group's local progress - from radical roots to a violent ending - through the use of animations, maps, and historic objects in Elmbridge Museum's collection.
  • Oak class 2019.JPG Royal Kent School's 200th Anniversary ExhibitionRoyal Kent School's 200th Anniversary Exhibition
  • Empire thumbnail Objects of EmpireThe British Empire presents a challenging, contentious history. Local history, especially, might seem worlds away from the colonial landscape, giving many museums no incentive to delve deeper into the topic and uncover now hidden stories. Here, we have started by taking just 20 objects, using the research and commentary of expert historians to look at them from a new perspective - through the lens of the history of the British Empire.
  • VE75 No1 Austin, age 7 V.E. Day with St. Charles Borromeo SchoolObjects from our collection were interpreted by pupils at St. Charles Borromeo school for the 75th anniversary of VE Day in May 2020. They drew and painted, wrote descriptions, poems and creative pieces for each object.
  • Introductory image.png A Day At The RacesThe historic sport of horseracing not only holds a unique place in British culture, but in Elmbridge's landscape in particular. Discover the ups and downs in the stories of Sandown and Hurst Park over the ages here.
  • Look Back in Anger main intro picture Look Back in AngerFrom Digger occupation to Suffragette arson and beyond, discover the variety of ways Elmbridge has been used as a stage for popular protest movements over the ages.
  • POWs and members of the WLA at Rivernook Farm Elmbridge at WarAs the deadliest conflict in history, the Second World War had a huge impact on the country and Elmbridge in particular. Discover the stories of our Borough's resilient residents in our latest project, which will mark the 75th anniversary of V.E. Day in May 2020.
  • kestrel.png Come Fly With MeHere, we examine the birds and butterflies that populated Elmbridge hundreds of years ago, and take a closer look at the work of the enthusiastic collectors who recorded them.
  • shoe.jpg Devil's In the DetailExamine luxuries from across the ages in Elmbridge Museum's latest exhibition. Our mixture of luxurious textile, woodwork and ceramic showcases how tiny details have been in demand for centuries.
  • kelloggs.jpg An Advertising EvolutionFrom cereal packets with cartoon characters, to coronation-themed confectionary tins, this exhibition will make you marvel at the marketing of by-gone eras.
  • Wrens icon The Wrens of OxshottLocal potters Denise and Rosemary Wren are compared through their use of tools and mark making in this exploration of their work.
  • Oatlands Oatlands: From Henry VIII's palace to First World War hospitalOatlands Palace was an impressive royal residence built for King Henry VIII in 1537. Little remains of the original building, except one of the restored archways on Tudor Walk in Weybridge. Here we explore Oatlands' fascinating hidden history.
  • 305.1964 - Thomas Holles Pelham.jpg People of ElmbridgeIn 2018 Elmbridge Museum held a temporary exhibition at the Riverhouse Barn to celebrate the lives of significant people from our borough. This online exhibition features some of the stories we told. Meet the past faces of Elmbridge and see how they helped to shape the borough that we live and work in.
  • Roman Cobham Roman CobhamIn 1942, the remains of a Roman bath house were discovered at Chatley Farm, on the outskirts of Cobham. In this exhibition we explore local Roman life, work, culture and practices.
  • Reproduction Sash.png Votes for Women!To celebrate 100 years since some women got the vote, we take a look back at how the Suffragettes of Elmbridge fought for their rights.
  • Pulling teeth Pulling Teeth: Walton's dental historyWe're diving into Walton-on-Thames' dental past, examining dental tools made at Walton's famous factory and tracking the changes to a practice which terrifies many.
  • Young Victorians Young Victorians: Childhood in Elmbridge 1837-1901Childhood in Elmbridge has changed radically since Queen Victoria's reign ended in 1901. However, the themes of home life, education, and play have remained timeless. Here, we assess the changes and continuities within the lives of local children over more than 100 years.
  • Milk Exhibition MILK: The Milk Marketing Board and the 'milk crisis'In this exhibition, we chart the turbulent history of the Milk Marketing Board from its formation in 1933, through its closure in 1994, to the present.
  • Cecil Hepworth Cecil Hepworth: Cinema's Forgotten PioneerCecil Hepworth of Walton-on-Thames was a key player in the early development of cinema. We're taking a look at his life and work, which helped to develop filmmaking techniques that are still used today.
  • Brownies lister image 100 Years of Brownie GuidesHere we celebrate a century of the Brownie Guides, looking at what being a Brownie has meant over the years.
  • walton on water lister image Walton-on-WaterCharting the history of swimming and water sports in the local area through archive photography from Elmbridge Museum's collection.
  • India case with objects cropped small.jpg Flagging UpExploring how Elmbridge Museum is contributing to the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.
  • sauce economizer combination.jpg Changing DomesticTastes, habits, and lifestyles may have changed radically since the Victorian era but this online exhibition offers an insight into understanding how and why things have changed.
  • Everyday Heroines logo small 200_200.jpg Everyday HeroinesHere, we shine a light on the stories of eight historical Elmbridge women. Each has made a remarkable and lasting difference to local life, and the places in which we live and work.
  • Taxing Nature Lister Image Taxing Nature'Taxing Nature' explores Elmbridge Museum's collections in a new way, questioning how animals have been depicted and appreciated over the last 150 years.