Islanders will soon be able to rekindle their childhood memories of the Wax Works in Brading thanks to the opening of a new micro museum this weekend (10th/11th March), with never-seen-before photos and drawings going on public display for the very first time.
It’s been 8 years since the doors to the world-famous Wax Works Museum closed, but part of the quaint building is to re-open as a free throwback museum on Saturday. Visitors are being welcomed to dive into the fascinating history of the Wax Works era whilst taking in the beautiful surroundings of the historic Rectory Mansion.
As well as seeing the original Valentine Gray wax work in the chimney and the well-remembered and rather revealing Skivvy scene, visitors to ‘Remembering the Wax Works’ will be able to explore memorabilia and signs that will jog plenty of memories, as well as taking in the sounds that played throughout the building in its heyday.
The history of the Rectory Mansion building – which dates back to 1228 and was once owned by Henry VIII – is also documented. One time a creaky hostelry, one time freaky mortuary, the High Street location in the heart of Brading is now a collection of local businesses. The opening of the museum coincides with the re-opening of Rectory Mansion as a whole, including The Auctioneer wine bar and kitchen, Sarah Matthews Flowers, Giraffe & Custard and The Beauty Loft, to name a few.
A spokesperson for Rectory Mansion said:
“It’s fantastic to be able to re-open part of the original Wax Works building as a micro museum, allowing the opportunity for Islanders and visitors alike to step back in time and re-live part of that fascination and excitement previously experienced in years gone by.
“Thanks to the support of many private collectors, such as Philip Hutchinson, we have been able to compile a great collection of all things Wax Works including extremely rare drawings of the now-famous tableau and photos of the Louis de Rochefort bones discovery.
“We look forward to welcoming everybody this weekend and in the coming months”.
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‘Remembering the Wax Works’ will open at 10:00 on Saturday as part of Rectory Mansion’s re-opening weekend. The free micro museum will be open 7 days a week until 17:00.
