A sign advertising treatment for venereal disease and a beer mat from Liverpool’s International Garden Festival, are just some of the items acquired by Museum of Liverpool curators in 2025.
Throughout the year, museum curators identify and acquire items relating to Liverpool’s rich cultural heritage. All unique and representative of stories from the city, the items range from the expected, to the more unusual.
The Museum of Liverpool celebrates and showcases Liverpool’s culture, character and heritage. Where some objects, thought of as more traditional museum items, may not be chosen, other more obscure, even unassuming items will take up a permanent place in the collections.
Items can be identified by the museum curators or are kindly offered to the museum by societies, organisations and members of the public. While not every item is accepted, curators carefully consider all items and decide which items would benefit the museum’s collection to represent the multitude of stories throughout the city’s long history.
Liz Stewart, head of Museum of Liverpool, said: “Each year our curatorial team surprise me with the range of objects we acquire for our collections.
“This year is no different. We have acquired items celebrating Liverpool’s diverse communities, recognised momentous occasions from 2025 that have taken place in the city, and brought to light centuries-old artefacts, including one hidden metres away from our Museum, that provide insight into our city’s rich history.
“Every item in our collection has a purpose, tells a story about our city and champions the stories we sometimes may not hear enough about in Liverpool. The stories of everyday people can offer some of the most important insights into the culture, character and history of the city, and our collection’s purpose is to represent the people of Liverpool – from centuries ago, up to the present day.”