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The Lightbox

Although the textile collection is small, it is specialised, and augments the major themes of the museum which are 'Life in Woking' and 'Mental Health'. The Brookwood Hospital collection contains nurses' uniforms, patients' uniform, and a restraining dress (of which there are very few examples). Brookwood cemetery was a major Victorian cemetery and the museum has a collection of mourning dress including jackets, headdresses, handkerchiefs and black feathers from this period.

There is a fine collection of countrywide as well as local lace (approximately 200 items). This has not yet been catalogued but it does contain some samples of drawn thread work and special types of lace. The museum intends to run lace-making workshops when it opens, along with workshops in embroidery and patchwork.

Textile projects already done with local schools will be exhibited in the museum. Also to be exhibited will be an interesting panel depicting Woking Mosque worked in appliqué, embroidery, beadwork and quilting which has been shown all over the country as part of a V&A exhibition.

The majority of the museum's textiles are made up of the Van Zwanenberg collection, which includes a large collection of embroidered silk underwear from the 1920s, and 30s.

The museum has loan boxes for the Tudors, Second World War and Victorian washday, which are sent out accompanied by a costumed facilitator to help the teachers, but these are aimed at Key Stages 1 and 2.

The reminiscence boxes of the 1950s and 60s are more relevant to GCSE and A level students. These contain, amongst other domestic items, fashion magazines, knitting patterns, paper patterns, clothing (like stockings) in its original packaging, needlework (cottons and silks) and other items such as a Biba carrier bag. Teachers are welcome to borrow these boxes.

The Galleries does not open until 2006, but students are welcome to see and handle the costumes relevant to their studies if prior notice is given.

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