The Hidden Heroes exhibition has now opened at The Guildhall in Newport, exploring the stories of over 20 extraordinary people with Island links who have contributed to the rich history of the Isle of Wight, from inventors and designers to artists and architects.
Visitors are able to look through a whole host of items including the steering wheel of Thrust 2 – the car that held the land speed record for 14 years, designed by John Ackroyd of Ryde.
There is also opportunity to learn about the history of the can opener and see an early example designed by inventor Henry Knight of Ryde in 1881; find out more about the important role of the Council’s Trading Standards department and view a selection of the weights and measures used on the Isle of Wight from as early as 1765 and find out more about one of the very few known pupils of the artist JMW Turner, Lady Isabella Julia Levina Gordon, who lived at Northcourt near Shorwell and was an accomplished artist in the nineteenth century.
Visitors will also be able to discover more about transgender musician, poet and artist Bruce Laker/Phaedra J. Kelly, who created the term ‘gender transient’ to describe a person who does not want to be a man or a woman but someone who experiments with both identities. The term gender transient was included in the Oxford English Dictionary in the 1990s.
Councillor John Hobart, Cabinet member for environment and heritage has said:
“I would certainly urge the public to come along to the museum to find out more about these extraordinary people, who have created, made or been involved in some marvellous projects and inventions. The exhibition is on until September.
“We should be rightly proud and celebrate our Island pioneers who have had a major impact in all areas of life.”
The exhibition is part of the new Hidden Heroes project which features displays, talks and workshops at museums and galleries across the Isle of Wight.
The Museum of Island History is open from Monday to Friday from 09:30 to 15:00. The Hidden Heroes exhibition will run there until September 2018.
For further information about the museum, contact 01983 823433 or visit www.iwight.com/museums.
