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Loan Boxes

Borrow your very own Museum in a Box. With a variety of real and replica objects, the boxes cover a whole range of topics to support learning in classroom or community settings. 

Loan boxes can be borrowed for 4 weeks – £65 per box. 

Arrangements for pick up and drop off will be agreed upon booking.

Get in touch  

 

A close-up photograph showing a layered pattern of bird feathers. The individual feathers are rounded with dark brown or black centres, edged by light tan and white fringes. Fine, hair-like barbs are visible along the tips of each feather, creating a textured surface.

Taxidermy specimens 

Local birds and mammals (there are a variety of these, all in Perspex cases). 

They are often borrowed to use in Art sessions.  Longer term loans can be organised for these objects by arrangement. 

A grey fossilised ammonite embedded in a piece of dark, rough rock, set against a plain white background. The shell forms a distinct spiral pattern with small, raised ridges fanning outwards along each curve towards the centre.

Rocks and Fossils  

General rock and fossil specimens including some local specimens.  

Contains examples of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. 

A large, smooth, cream-coloured seed pod shaped like a heart rests under a clear glass display dome on a grey surface. To its right lies a dark brown, curled wooden pod, with other dried botanical specimens arranged nearby.

Seeds of the World

Seeds and pods from plants from around the world. 

Two round, silver Anglo-Saxon coins rest against a bright blue background. The coin on the left shows a side profile of a head with detailed patterns along the clothing and hair. The coin on the right partially overlaps it, displaying embossed capital lettering across three horizontal lines.

Anglo-Saxons

Explores the life of monks at Monkwearmouth and more general Anglo–Saxon objects. 

A white ceramic statue of a draped figure with styled hair stands centrally against a plain purple background. Arranged in a row in front of the statue are four small, detailed silver metal figurines depicting ancient Roman soldiers and gladiators in full armour, holding weapons and shields.

Romans

Learn about life in Roman Britain and on Hadrian’s Wall with some handmade replicas. 

A cream-coloured ceramic jug featuring alternating brown and dark blue horizontal stripes around its lower half, set against a bright blue background. The jug has a small handle on the right and a shaped pouring spout at the top.

Victorian Homes

Mix of real and replica objects that were found in Victorian homes. 

Two white feather quills rest beside a small, brown ceramic ink well sealed with a cork stopper, all set against a bright blue background.

Victorian Schoolroom

Mix of real and replica objects with information connected to Sunderland schools. 

A smooth, polished wooden yoyo rests against a vibrant green background. Its attached string curves upwards, ending in a looped knot near the top.

Victorians & Edwardians – School and Home

A mix of the Victorian home and schools boxes with some later items added for further exploration. 

A folded blue, white, and green commemorative cloth celebrating the 1977 Silver Jubilee is arranged on a pink background alongside two vintage newspaper pages. One newspaper, the Sunderland Echo, features a front-page photograph of a crowd waving flags.

20th Century School

Items showing what life was life in a 20th Century school from the 1930s –90s. 

A red OXO cubes tin box sits against a solid red background. The lid features white text reading

20th Century Homes

What was daily life like in the 20th Century, compare it to our lives today. Look at real objects and see what has changed. 

A collection of various vintage toys and games is arranged against a bright blue background. Items include a

Toys Old and New

Boxes showing toys from the 1950s to the 1990s. Compare them with the toys we have today.  

A collection of World War One artefacts is arranged on a green background, featuring a long, dark trench periscope diagonally across the centre. To the left lie a small red book titled

World War I

A collection of real and replica items from the First World War. A lot of these items are about the lives of Sunderland people during the war. 

A toy plastic crab sits against a bright blue background. The crab has a rounded, orange and white shell with small black markings, and its legs and claws fade to white with black tips.

Seaside Holidays

Items showing what a trip to the seaside was like in the first half of the 20th Century 

A collection of historical items rests against a plain grey background. A patterned tweed flat cap sits beside a pair of dark brown leather clogs. A white sailor's cap with the gold text

Sunderland Shipbuilding

Items covering ship building and sailing in Sunderland. 

A wide blue belt with metal buckles and rivets rests above a pair of dark grey padded knee pads with black straps, all set against a bright blue background.

Coal

Items covering the coal mining industry in Sunderland and the wider region. 

Pyrex – Sunderland glass

A collection of glassware from Sunderland’s most famous glassmaker.

A folded red and white checkered picnic blanket rests against a bright yellow background.

Textiles

Examples of different textile production techniques (knitting, quilting, patchwork, embroidery) used in Sunderland and across the world. Most items were handmade for the loan box. 

A black-and-white aerial photograph rests on a bright blue background, capturing an elevated view of a rural house surrounded by trees and open fields.

Museum Box

Different items to inspire enquiry, creative writing and art. 

Get in touch to book  

 

If you have any questions about the Museum in a Box service, get in touch at museumlearning@sunderland.gov.uk