The Hunterian has been awarded £60,000 from national development body Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS).

The award will fund a project to conserve, research and interpret Dr William Hunter’s plaster casts of the Gravid Uterus, making them accessible to new audiences.

The ten 18th century plaster casts of a dissected pregnant uterus were made for The Hunterian's founder Dr William Hunter, but are currently in a poor state of conservation.

The project will allow them to go on public display for the first time where they will form the centre of a major international exhibition at The Hunterian in 2018. They will then go on loan to the Yale Centre for British Art in 2019 and will also form part of the new MSc in Museum Education, due to launch in September 2017.

Mungo Campbell, Acting Director of The Hunterian said:

‘These plaster casts were used by The Hunterian’s founder, William Hunter (1718-1783) for teaching and research. We are thrilled that this support from MGS will enable 21st century audiences to engage with a group of truly unique objects at the very heart of our Recognised Collections. Once conserved, the casts will be available for learning and research at every level. In 2018, the year of Hunter’s Tercentenary, they will take centre stage in our major collaborative exhibition with the Yale Center for British Art and will be seen and understood by a global audience for the first time.’

15 projects from Museums across Scotland will benefit from a share of over £600,000 of funding. Several of the awards will fund new posts within museums, in roles focusing on curatorship, learning, and engagement. Other projects will improve the way collections are stored and cared for, ensuring they will be preserved for the benefit of future generations.

Joanne Orr, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said:

“MGS is pleased to be supporting projects that will contribute to the long-term sustainability and resilience of these museums. The awardees have demonstrated a real commitment to enterprise, skills development, and improving their offering and profile for future visitors.”

Through the Museum Development Fund, MGS distributes a general funding grant from the Scottish Government as well as the ring fenced grants for capital projects and for Scotland’s Recognised Collections.

First published: 13 July 2017

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