The Rotunda Museum

William Smith, whose pioneering work established that geological strata could be identified and correlated using the fossils they contain, has been dubbed ‘Father of English Geology’. One of his geological maps of England now hangs in Burlington House, London, the home of the Geological Society.

Smith came to Scarborough after his release from debtors’ prison where the dramatic coastline offered him an area of geological richness. The Rotunda Museum was built to Smith’s design suggestion and the original display of fossils illustrated his ideas.

The Rotunda is one of the oldest purpose built museums in Britain still fulfilling its original role. Overlooking Scarborough’s South Bay this small, handsome building is an important part of Britain’s scientific heritage.

The Rotunda Museum was designed to convey William Smith’s theory; that rocks could be ordered according to the fossils they contain. We want to capture this unique aspect of the Rotunda in the redisplay – the idea that a museum could be used to illustrate new theories, the excitement generated by Smith’s presence in Scarborough and the relevance of his work today. In returning the Museum to its original role we will create a centre of geology serving the Yorkshire region.

CONCEPT

The first floor gallery, with its original tiers of cases and Phillips’ Geological Section, will present Smith’s ideas, capturing the flavour of a 19th century museum. Fossil specimens from Scarborough’s Collections, which would have formed part of the original displays, will be returned to the Museum and for the first time specimens from Smith’s own collection, on loan from the Natural History Museum, London, will be displayed.

www.rotundamuseum.org.uk