Pickfords Museum House
The House
You can see the ground floor dining room, drawing room and morning room as they might have been in Joseph Pickford's time. A Georgian bedroom and dressing room have been recreated on the first floor, while on the top floor there is a servant's bedroom complete with straw mattress.
The kitchen and laundry have been reconstructed, together with a cellar, pantry and housekeeper's cupboard, so that visitors can get an idea of what life was like for the servants working below stairs in Georgian times. One of the cellars is equipped as an air-raid shelter of the 1940s.
The upper floors feature displays of toys and toy theatres, and several rooms showing some of the Museum's excellent collection of historic costumes and textiles.
The Morning Room:
This light airy room in Pickford's House would have been used as a family room - a place for informal eating and leisure activities, such as playing musical instruments, reading and writing letters. However, in Pickford's day this may have been the architect's office. His son, the Rev Joseph Pickford, made this room into a parlour in about 1812 when he divided the house.
The Morning Room, or parlour, is displayed as it might have looked between 1825-30. Life had become less formal by this time and this is reflected in a casual grouping of furniture around the table.
Over the mantelpiece hangs a copy of a painting by Pickford's friend Joseph Wright of Derby. It shows Pickford's sons Thomas and Joseph with their dog, around 1777-9.
The figure sitting at the pianoforte wears a cotton print dress of about 1830 with a cap and collar of the same date.
Costume and Textiles Collection:
The costume and accessories collection, dating from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, is becoming widely known and used by students.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Monday - 11am to 5pm
Tuesday - 10am to 5pm
Wednesday - 10am to 5pm
Thursday - 10am to 5pm
Friday - 10am to 5pm
Saturday - 10am to 5pm
Sunday and Bank Holiday - 1pm to 4pm
Parking
Visitors may use the museum car park at the rear of Pickford's House, off Agard Street.
Facilities for disabled visitors:
Pickford's House is an historic building and adaptations have been made to give wheelchair users access to the ground floor and basement.
Unfortunately there is no toilet on these floors and no wheelchair access to the first and second floors. Visitors may view a video guide to the museum.
Baby changing facilities are available.
Address:
Museum of Georgian Life and Costume
41 Friar Gate
Derby
DE1 1DA