New Transporter Bridge Exhibition now open at the Dorman
An exhibition marking 100 years of the Tees Transporter Bridge has opened at Middlesbrough’s Dorman Museum.
The centenary exhibition features original material from the museum’s own collection of Transporter-related objects, artwork and archive photographs, and costumes representing the styles and fashions of the past century.
The Dorman’s archive collection of objects, documents, ephemera and memorabilia includes the structure’s original plaque, a souvenir brochure commemorating the 1911 opening, ceramic fuses, a trolley wheel from the bridge’s upper carriage and an electrical pick-up which took power to and from the cab on the Transporter gondola.
After a highly successful six-month showing at Saltburn’s Artsbank, photographs, drawings, prints and paintings of the bridge will also be on display.
They include photographs of the construction, opening and ‘life’ of the bridge together with images created by some well-known local artists including Robin Dale, Ian MacDonald, CSCape, Margaret Shields, Ged Hickey, Stephen Gill, Graham Lowe, Barbara Renton-Wood, Carole Allick, David Tarn, Alan Morley and many more.
The exhibition is expected to be a huge hit in Middlesbrough, where the Transporter is seen as symbolic of the town’s industrial heritage.
Another major feature is costumes made for the exhibition by students from the Costume Construction for Stage & Screen course at Cleveland College of Art and Design in Hartlepool.
The clothing represents the styles and fashions of each decade of the bridge’s existence, from the very formal dresses and suits worn by those who attended the structure’s official opening in 1911, through the austerity and utility of the wartime and post-war periods, to the swinging and leisure wear of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Dorman Museum curator Phil Philo said: “The exhibition tells the story of the town’s towering landmark, exploring its history, people’s reaction to it and the sense of place it generates.”
About the Dorman Museum
The Dorman Museum is open Monday to Sunday every week, 9.30am-5pm. Admission is free.
The museum is located next to Albert Park and the Cenotaph just off Linthorpe Road. Middlesbrough railway and bus stations are a 20 minute walk away on a mostly level route.
There are frequent buses 11,12,27 & 63 that travel along Linthorpe Road.
Parking is permitted on the street to the front and side of the museum.
Please use postcode TS5 6LA to locate the museum using Sat Nav systems or route planner websites.
The history of the region's geological, social and industrial heritage can be seen at the Dorman Museum. The museum opened to the public in 1904 and has on display the largest publicly-owned collection of Linthorpe Pottery as well as an amazing ornithological collection, perserved in its original Edwardian setting. Enjoy the great range of eight themed display galleries, full disabled access throughout and additional facilities such as café and education suite.
Download: Middlesbrough Museums What's On 2011
Middlesbrough Museums - What's On 2011
Additional Transporter Bridge Centenary activities
The exhibition is part of the Transporter Bridge centenary activities, which are being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, who donated £2.6m towards the celebrations and major renovation works that will include the installation of a glass lift to the structure’s walkway 160 feet above the River Tees.
Another centenary exhibition will feature the photography of Teesside-born Stephen Gill, documenting the Transporter and its changing surroundings over the course of a year. It will open at the Python Gallery in St Hilda’s, Middlesbrough, on the bridge’s October 17 birthday.
That same day will see the 100th anniversary of the bridge’s official opening marked with the launch of a reminiscence and heritage display at the Transporter’s Visitor Centre.
Arrangements are also ongoing for a spectacular Transporter birthday celebration between 6pm and 7.30pm on Sunday October 16, featuring a carnival and fireworks finale.
Useful links
RSVP to the exhibition on Facebook
Love Middlesbrough: Key Strengths: Industrial Heritage - Transporter Bridge