Object of the year

Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year

Twenty museums from across the county have entered this year's competition.

Voting has now closed and the winner will be announced on the 15th February at the annual Hertfordshire Museums Awards.

Thank you for voting!

Maquette for the National Firefighters Memorial statue

Ashwell Museum

A resin maquette of the National Firefighters Memorial by local artist, John Mills (1933-2023), who lived for many years in Hinxworth, near Ashwell. This is a draft model for the full sized version outside St Paul’s Cathedral.

More about the Maquette

John Mills (1933-2023) lived for many years in Hinxworth, close to Ashwell. He created several large monuments in bronze which stand in London. This maquette or model of the larger statue was initially to commemorate the firefighters in the Blitz of World War Two. It was unveiled near St Pauls Cathedral in 1991. Later it was re-dedicated for all firefighters. John Mills donated this maquette to the Museum in Ashwell. Ashwell Museum have had several exhibitions of John’s work over the years and one of the early exhibitions in the new North Herts Museum focussed on John and his wife Jo who was his muse.

Medieval Seal Matrix

Bishop's Stortford Museum

A 14th century Seal Matrix, originally used to mark sealing wax on documents, lost by its owner over 600 years ago and found in a local forest by a father and son who were out with a metal detector. It’s engraved in French with the words “May a false friend be forever shamed”.

More about the Seal Matrix

This seal is a rare local example of a medieval object found in the village of Thorley. The seal is early 14th century. It is made from silver set with an intaglio carved gemstone probably green jasper. It is also engraved in French and reads: ‘May a false friend be forever shamed.’ The matrix is a good example of its kind and is very small, not much bigger than 1p piece. When in August 2011 a father and son went metal detecting in the local forest, they could only dream of finding something so precious that it would end up in Bishop's Stortford Museum. They stumbled across a find along what must have been an old medieval trackway in the local area.“It was so clean we thought it was modern” remembers the finder and when they took it to the experts they were asked “do you know what you’ve found? Are you aware of what you are holding in your hands?”. “Yes, just a modern pendant" was the reply… But it turned out to be a 14th century Seal Matrix, originally used to mark sealing wax on documents, lost by its owner over 600 years ago.

Frank Halford’s desk

The Bunker Museum at Hatfield Police Station

An Art Deco style hand-made wooden desk made for Major Frank Halford, who was a leading designer of aeroplane engines and pioneer of early jet engine technology. Major Halford worked on the design of the world’s first jet airliner, the DH Comet, while sitting at this desk.

More about the Desk.

This Art Deco style desk in dark Walnut veneer was made for Major Frank Halford (1894-1955). He was a talented engineer and set up his own Aero Engine design company in the 1920s. He worked closely with the de Havilland Aircraft Company to produce engines for their early aircraft, and during World War II he formally joined de Havilland to work on the production of the first commercial jet engines, using the early designs of jet engine inventor Frank Whittle. Those engines powered the UK’s early jet fighters and the world’s first jet airliner the DH Comet, and Major Halford would have worked on their design while sitting at this desk. The desk was kindly donated to the Bunker Museum by Mrs Janet Woodward of Southampton, whose father worked with Major Halford.

Death Mask

Bushey Museum and Art Gallery

Plaster death mask, one of two used in the Herkomer Art School drawing classes, said to have been taken from the body of a suicide recovered from the River Seine by the French police in the 1880s.

More about the Death Mask

Sir Hubert von Herkomer, an artist originally from Bavaria, founded his famous Herkomer Art School at Bushey in 1883 and directed it until 1904 when he retired. He disapproved of his students drawing from casts after the antique, as was the custom in schools of art at the time. Herkomer did not want his students to be copying antique sculptors but discovering their own style. This rather beautiful antique death mask is one of two in Bushey Museum’s collection which are said to have been taken from the bodies of suicides recovered from the River Seine by the French police in the 1880s.

Ovaltine Maid Painting

Dacorum Heritage

Ovaltine was developed by Swiss chemist, Dr Wander, in 1904 as the first convenient and complete milk fortifier, intended to give strength. Manufacturing started in the UK in 1913 at the factory in Kings Langley; the location was chosen because of the plentiful supply of water, good transport links and suitable farmland to produce barley, fresh eggs and milk. Ovaltine was at the forefront of advertising, utilising new techniques, and this Ovaltine Maid was an icon worldwide.

More about the Ovaltine Maid Painting

Ovaltine was developed by Swiss chemist Dr Wander in 1904 as the first convenient and complete milk fortifier, intended to give strength. Athletes at the 1932 Olympic Games were even served Ovaltine as a health boost. The factory in Kings Langley opened with an original workforce of just 13, but by 1950s this had risen to 1,400 people. When the factory closed in 2002, much of the collection came to Dacorum Heritage.The collection is varied and includes advertising materials, packaging materials, and artefacts associated with the factory and farm at Kings Langley. The collection ranges in date from the early to the late 20th Century. Some of the highlights of the collection are recordings produced by Radio Luxembourg of the children’s group, “the Ovaltineys”, singing “We are the Ovaltineys”. Other highlights include the original artworks created for advertisements. Film which was recently digitalised through funding from Garfield Weston Foundation can be found on the Dacorum Heritage YouTube channel. The collection contains several large paintings of women and children which were used to advertise the Ovaltine product. This painting, as one example, showing three typical shots of women enjoying their cup of Ovaltine. These include her stirring in a spoonful of Ovaltine into milk, sleeping and waking from a restful night sleep.The original artworks were all used in print advertisements both nationally and internationally. The Ovaltine lady was an icon of world importance, she was the face of the brand, and she was very recognisable and reminiscent. Ovaltine company was a major local employer. The company was, and to some extent is still, very highly regarded and it played a major part in the life of the community.

Burnt Beam from Paper Stores

Frogmore Paper Mill

When fire broke out at Frogmore Mill in January 2022, a top priority was to salvage as much as possible from the collection on display. However, one of the most important artefacts was the building itself, with the visitor centre, featuring original wooden beams, housed in the mill’s 19th century paper stores. This beam represents a piece of living history, giving a story of resilience as old as the Mill itself.

More info about the Burnt Beam

When fire destroyed the visitor centre at Frogmore, one of the first priorities was to salvage as much as possible from the collection on display. However, one of the most important historic artefacts was the building itself, with the visitor centre housed in the mill’s 19th century paper stores, featuring original wooden beams. Fire was a constant danger for paper mills with the potential for catastrophic effects, and so from the late 19th century companies founded their own dedicated fire brigades to both spot and fight fires. The brigades also proved valuable to their local communities, at times even better equipped than those of local authorities. However, the threat of fire never went away and Frogmore was struck by a serious fire in 1942. Despite a lack of materials and workers during wartime, the mill was running again within four months. The beam joined the collection in its present state in January 2022 when the destructive effects of fire were sadly felt again. Though it marks what has been lost, as with previous fires it marks a resolve to carry on as we celebrate 250 years of papermaking at Frogmore in 2024.

‘Broadway’ by Sylvia Molloy

Garden City Collection (Letchworth Garden City)

A joyous, recent purchase, this is already one of the Garden City Collection's most popular paintings, perfectly portraying Letchworth’s gorgeous grand tree-lined boulevard, Broadway, by much-loved local artist, Sylvia Molloy.

More about Broadway

One of the gems of the museum’s fine art collection, this painting perfectly captures Letchworth’s rural idyll, depicting the town’s iconic grand tree-lined boulevard, Broadway, against a vivid pink dusk sky. The artist, Sylvia Molloy, painted many brilliant scenes in Letchworth, from interiors of the Kryn & Lahy Steelfounders to busy bustling street scenes.The painting was one of the most popular pieces of an exhibition the museum put on at Broadway Gallery, ‘Letchworth: Lives and Landscapes’ last Autumn, which celebrated the rich history of the world’s first Garden City through their fascinating and varied art collection, full of the town’s people and places. You can enjoy the show yourself as they have captured the show for posterity in a stunning 360 degree virtual tour on their website at www.discoverletchworth.com (partly funded by a generous Hertfordshire Associations of Museums Small Grant award – thanks HAM!)

Essendon Vestry Minute Book, 1833 – 1917 (HALS ref DP/37/8/16)

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS)

HALS holds many parish records but only one believed to have been damaged by enemy action. This vestry minute book (DP/37/8/16) was damaged during the airship raid on Essendon in September 1916, in which Captain William Leefe Robinson won the Victoria Cross for shooting down an airship. The damage, believed to be from shrapnel, includes holes piercing the front cover and evidence of scorching.

More about the Vestry Minute Book

HALS’ Object of the Year is the minute book of the Essendon Vestry (DP/37/8/16). It is of interest not so much for the information it contains, valuable though that is, but for the unusual condition in which HALS received it. The damage, believed to be from shrapnel, includes holes piercing the front cover and evidence of scorching. This is said to have occurred in the First World War, during the famous enemy air raid on Hertfordshire on 3 September 1916; the same raid in which Captain William Leefe Robinson won the Victoria Cross for shooting down an airship at Cuffley. Several bombs landed in Essendon, where two people were tragically killed and various buildings sustained damage, including the church. The volume, thought to have been kept in the demolished vestry at the time of the raid, evidently continued to be used in its damaged condition as it contains minutes of the 1917 Vestry meeting where the restoration of the church was discussed. Having been stored separately, and not recorded during previous parish records surveys, it was a surprise when this treasure came to light. The pages remain mostly legible although the volume will need to be handled and consulted carefully.

Cat painted on Wall Plaster

Hertford Museum

People have always loved cats – this 17th Century moggy (complete with tabby stripes scratched into the plaster) was painted on a farm wall in Standon, possibly to ward off bad luck or to deter mice. This was the century of witch trials and many people buried dead cats within their walls and under floorboards to ward off witchcraft and bad luck and it is possible that the early tenants of Great Barwick Farm had the same intention with this painting.

More about the Cat

This cat was painted on an inside wall of Great Barwick Farm, Standon, during the 17th Century. Carbon is present on the painting, indicating that it was near a fire. The painting was added to over the years – at one point, the black tail was rubbed away. Someone then painted over the cat’s eyes and the tip of its tail with red. Later, the red eyes were scratched away, and the body and tail were scratched with stripes, turning the cat into a tabby. This was the century of witch trials and many people buried dead cats within their walls and under floorboards to ward off witchcraft and bad luck. It is possible that the early tenants of Great Barwick Farm had the same intention with this painting or that they believed it might act as a warning to mice and rats. The display of this wall plaster was made possible by urgent conservation funding from the Friends of Hertford Museum.

Playing Cards made from Georgian Calling Cards by Elizabeth Bulwer Lytton

Knebworth House

These intricate hand-drawn playing cards were made over 200 years ago by Mrs Elizabeth Bulwer Lytton (1770-1843) of Knebworth House. Made from visitors’ calling cards, the detailed drawings give an insight into life in the Georgian era. Each card has a different scene, often with speech bubbles and tiny written messages, and includes various slightly grotesque, comedic characters.

More about the Playing Cards

Elizabeth Bulwer Lytton, a young widow with 3 sons, inherited Knebworth House in 1810. Over 30 years she successfully transformed the house and estate - a formidable ‘Lady of the Manor’ who had a lifetime of troubles with family, tenants, the Church and sometimes the law! Elizabeth found joy in her love of animals and art. The Knebworth House archive contains her intricate paper cuttings, paintings and sketches, which display her interest in fashion, books and theatre in the Georgian era. Amongst these was recently discovered a set of Playing Cards, created out of old calling cards. The reverse of the calling cards was illustrated by Elizabeth to make the face of a playing card. Each card has a different scene, often with speech bubbles and tiny written messages, and including various slightly grotesque, comedic characters, probably influenced by her love of plays such as The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay. Calling cards were very popular at this time. They were used to announce your arrival when visiting friends, arriving in town or wishing to make acquaintances.

Southern Elephant Seal

Natural History Museum at Tring

Look up when you reach Gallery 5 at Tring and you might spot this magnificent animal, one of the biggest in the museum- the southern elephant seal. It dates to 1908, travelled nearly 8,000 miles to get to Tring and would love your vote!

More about the Southern Elephant Seal

If you glance upwards in gallery five at Tring you will see one of the largest animals on display, the southern elephant seal. It was collected almost 8,000 miles away from Tring in Darwin Bay, Falkland Islands on 28 May 1908. The animal had come ashore at Darwin and was skinned by a man who worked between the tides over two weeks in exchange for a bottle of whisky. The enormous hide was then towed across harbour and soaked in a big iron pot, before it was treated and was packed into casks. Rowland Ward, one of the finest taxidermists of the day heard of it and purchased the whole animal for about £13, including its freight back to his workshops in London. Shortly afterwards he sold the specimen to Walter Rothschild, and it completed its journey to Tring where it was raised three storeys into the gallery and placed on top of one of the showcases, the only space that it would fit. How the staff got it up there is a mystery. The sheer determined endeavour to get this animal into the museum in Tring at the turn of the twentieth century surely deserves your vote.

Penguin Pals

North Hertfordshire Museum

The penguin pals, an Adélie and an African penguin, once spent their time inspiring children about the natural world in schools. They now spend their retirement together in our Terrace Gallery.

More about the Penguin Pals

The penguin pals, an Adélie penguin and an African penguin, saw generations of schoolchildren grow up in Hertfordshire. The Adelie penguin has been with North Herts Museum's service for at least 60 years and once upon a time accompanied their Education Officer as they travelled up and down the country lanes from school to school. The African penguin was once resident at Haileybury College and has been with North Herts Museum for over 20 years. Both brought amazement to children and learning about the natural world and even inspired art classes. They now spend a quiet retirement together in the museum's Terrace Gallery watching the world come and go.

Bakelite Hot Water Bottle

Redbourn Museum

Did you have a hot water bottle like this one? Bakelite, patented in 1909, was the first entirely synthetic plastic. It was easy to mould and resistant to heat and electricity, and was used in many household items. These hot water bottles are designed to be plugged in to a lamp or an electric socket.

More about the Bakelite Hot Water Bottle

None of the museum's trustees have ever seen one of these before and no-one is prepared to share their bed with it – especially when plugged in! It’s currently displayed in an exhibition entitled ‘And so to bed’.

Spitfire over Bassingbourn

Royston Museum

Spitfire over Bassingbourn, by E.H. Whydale, was painted as a raffle prize for the Wings for Victory campaign to raise money for Spitfires for the RAF in May 1943.

More about Spitfire over Bassingbourne

The Wings for Victory Campaign was held nationally to raise money for the RAF. In a week in May 1943, Royston and Baldock competed for who could raise the most funds. The week was packed with events such as football matches, concerts, dances and processions. A variety of competitions were held including gardening, children’s posters . House to house collectors ensured no one was missed. Local artist E.H. Whydale was one of the organisers and designed a fundraising indicator for the centre of town. He painted ‘Spitfire over Bassingbourn’ as a raffle prize. The winner gave it to his apprentice as a wedding present, who asked for the painting to be donated to Royston’s museum after his death. Royston won, raising £88,859 to Baldock’s £69,696 (jointly worth over £7.5 million today).

Sabina’s Samian Bowl

Verulamium Museum

This bowl fragment, dating from Roman times, is inscribed “Sabina” and made of Samian ware, a type of pottery imported from Gaul. Excavated in Verulamium, this bowl is the only object found in this area that explicitly references a woman.

More about Sabina's Bowl

This bowl is significant because it is evidence of the presence of a woman in Roman Verulamium. This is something that is not at all common in most excavation finds from the area. It also provokes more questions about who she was. Did Sabina own this bowl? It was not uncommon to name tableware to avoid it going missing and Samian ware would have been expensive to import so it is likely that this bowl belonged to someone rich. Or perhaps she was its maker? We know from classical sources that female portrait artists existed but there is very little evidence to tell us how common it might have been for women to be potters or other types of craft makers. The Museum has selected this object as it will feature in an upcoming display about the role of women in Roman Britain opening in March to coincide with Women’s History Month.

Superbus Badge (2004.24)

Stevenage Museum

This metal badge was issued to mark the inauguration of the Stevenage Superbus in 1971. What better way to show your Stevenage Public Transport Pride?

More about the Superbus Badge

‘Enjoy the super-convenience, super-speed of reliable SUPERBUS – it’s the service that’s setting the pace for the 70’s’: This metal badge was issued to mark the inauguration of the Stevenage Superbus in 1971 and shows a single-decker Superbus and reads ‘I’m a Superbus rider’. What better way to show your Stevenage Public Transport Pride? The Superbus was a fantastic initiative where the fares were cut, and the frequencies increased on some of the routes in Stevenage. Come along to see this excellent accessory in Stevenage Museum's current exhibition, Scenes from Contemporary Life, open until April 2024.

Original 1950s Ovaltine Mugs

Three Rivers Museum Trust

Three promotional red plastic mugs with Captain Midnight transfers, for drinking Ovaltine. These were sent out with a 6-step instruction guide for making the drink, a warning about washing the mugs, and a letter from President of the Wander Company in Kings Langley, addressed: 'Please Give This To Your Mother'. Captain Midnight was a US Adventure Franchise, sponsored by Ovaltine from 1940.

More about the Ovaltine Mugs

Two red plastic Ovaltine Shake-Up mugs or cups with colour transfer on side and blue plastic lids, for drinking Ovaltine cold. Embossed on base: 'The Secret Squadron Way. Drink Ovaltine every day. Manufactured exclusively for Ovaltine'. One red plastic mug or cup with handle and colour transfer for hot drinks. Accompanying 6-step instructions for making the drink, warning about washing the mugs, and letter from President of the Wander Company addressed: 'Please Give This To Your Mother'. All three mugs unused: shortly after their arrival by post in 1955, donor's mother received a letter from the Ovaltine company telling her not to use them. This was at a time when thermoplastics were relatively new and there were concerns that such material could be hazardous if used for drinking utensils. The cups come with a notice advising against soaking in hot water! The cups/mugs were donated in their original 1955-postmarked cardboard boxes.

Gibson A14 Ticket Machine

Tring Local History Museum

The Gibson Ticket Machines, manufactured in Tring, were the first hand-operated ticket machine issued to bus conductors that could print tickets for a selection of destinations from a blank paper roll by operating a rotating handle. Prior to this, bus conductors were issuing the not so economical pre-printed tickets.

More about the Gibson Ticket Machine

The Gibson A14 Bus Ticket Machine was developed by George Gibson in 1949 when London Transport needed to automate their bus ticketing system. Prior to this, bus conductors were issuing the not so economical pre-printed tickets. The Gibson Machine allowed conductors to set, from a selection of routes and fares, a ticket which was then printed from a blank paper roll by operating a rotating handle. The Rothschild family, who were then resident in the Mansion in Tring, had taken over the original Silk Mill factory on Brook Street and had set this up as the Royal Mint Refinery Engineering Company. They won the contract to be one of the manufacturing companies of the Gibson Ticket Machines. This machine bears the label, "Manufactured in Brook Street Tring". The Tring Local History Museum had been looking to acquire one for some time and after contacting "The Friends of London Transport" was donated this machine by Lady Dawn Shields, the wife of the late Sir Neil Shields. He had been awarded the machine by his colleagues after his term as Chairman of London Regional Transport (1988-89) "For keeping the show on the Road" after the King's Cross fire in 1987.

George, the Pulhamite Grotesque

Ware Museum

This Grotesque in the form of a dog was found near Ware Museum during renovation of Ware Priory. He is made of Pulhamite, and is affectionately nicknamed George! Pulhamite is a patented anthropic rock material invented by James Pulham (1820-1898) of the Broxbourne firm James Pulham and Son.

More about George

This dog-shaped stone carving was found in the grounds of Ware Priory during renovation work in the early 2000s and was donated to the Museum. It is made of Pulhamite, a patented anthropic rock material invented by James Pulham (1820-1898) of the Broxbourne firm James Pulham and Son. Pulhamite was widely used for rock gardens and grottos and fragments can still be seen in the grounds of the Priory. It looked like gritty sandstone but was a blend of sand, Portland cement and clinker sculpted over a core of rubble and crushed brick. It was so realistic that it fooled some geologists of the era. George, as he is affectionately known in the museum, is not a gargoyle since he is not designed to draw water away from the side of the building; he is in fact a grotesque, a mythical or fantastical figure, carved in stone and attached to the roof or wall of a building as a whimsical decoration or to ward off evil.

Longland’s Love Token

Watford Museum

A lovingly handcrafted gift from a local cobbler, William Longland, to his wife, Bessie, inscribed with their beaded initials. It is one of a number of gifts he made for her throughout their marriage, using the hooves and horns he had access to through his work with leather.

More about Longland's Love Token

This decorative Victorian curiosity was crafted by local shoemaker on Estcourt Road, William Longland, as a gift for his wife, Hannah Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Longland. It is one of a number of gifts he made for her throughout their marriage using the hooves and horns he had access to through his work with leather. This gift of a decorative hoof with a velvet crown in a bell jar has been delicately decorated with beads and bears the couple’s initials, ‘W’ and ‘B’ on either side. The couple were married from 1884 until Bessie’s passing in 1932, predeceasing William by 16 years.