Invisible Light – Photographs by Alan Withington
Saturday 26th April – Saturday 21st June
This exhibition presents a collection of images created using ultraviolet (UV) light – a form of light invisible to most people. Each photograph carries a hidden meaning, echoing the unseen nature of the light that created it. These evocative images capture familiar places and stir deep emotional responses.
The exhibition features ‘alternative processes’ – a blend of historic photographic methods and modern digital techniques, used to produce positive images.
Alan Withington, a photographer who has explored these methods for the past five years, shares work created through long exposure times, ranging from 45 minutes to over four months. His photography is a considered response to today’s fast-moving world and the rise of AI in creative fields, championing the value of authentic, patient image-making.
Sequins and Sparkles – A Fashion Exhibition
Saturday 5th April – TBC
Step into a world of shimmer and style with Sequins and Sparkles, a dazzling exhibition of 20th-century fashion. The display showcases a vibrant array of garments crafted with metallic threads, sequins, and beads. A carefully curated selection of 19th- and 20th-century jewellery and accessories adds further glamour to this sparkling showcase.
Reading Jane Austen in Regency Retford – A Talk by Judith Hedley
Saturday 26th July, 2.00pm to 3.00pm
Born 250 years ago this December, Jane Austen’s novels were published during a short but culturally rich period in the early 19th century – a time of expansion and prosperity in Retford. But who among Retford’s residents might have been reading Pride and Prejudice, Emma or Persuasion? Without the Denman Library, which would not be founded for another century, how and where were these literary works encountered?
This talk explores Jane Austen’s life and literature through the lens of both social and local history, offering a fresh perspective. It is accessible to all – no prior knowledge of Austen’s work is required.
Free admission. Booking is essential. To reserve a place, please email bassetlaw.museum@basssetlaw.gov.uk.
Visit www.bassetlawmuseum.org.uk for the Museum’s latest opening hours.
Bassetlaw Museum takes action to preserve its collection
Bassetlaw Museum is taking proactive steps to preserve its extensive and historically significant collection for future generations.
A wide range of artefacts, not currently on display due to limited space, are housed in off-site storage which is no longer suitable for the safe preservation of the museum’s archive collection. As a result, the collection must be relocated as a matter of urgency.
To facilitate the move, the Bassetlaw Museum team will assess the condition of each item, catalogue it, and carefully pack it ahead of its relocation. In some rare instances, items may be transferred to other museums where they will be incorporated into public collections.
To carry out this essential work, there will be temporary changes to the museum’s opening hours, lasting for up to a year.
From Tuesday 13th May, the Museum will open four days a week – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – from 10.00am to 4.30pm (closed on Mondays and Thursdays). During school holidays, the Museum will resume its usual six-day opening. Educational sessions for schools will continue as normal throughout this period.