Social History

The Social History collections of Manx National Heritage cover the period from roughly 1600 right up to the present day. Every object which is collected by Manx National Heritage is significant in some way, either because it is connected with a certain person or event, or because it is representative of a particular aspect of life on the Island.

These objects have important things to tell us about who we are and how we came to be where we are today. Very often changes in society are subtle, and take place over a long period of time, so that they are not easily noticed. Part of the role of a museum is to collect objects which chart these changes, and to store, record and interpret them on behalf of the community from which they have come.

Here Manx National Heritage presents just a few objects, selected from the many thousands in our Social History collections. Some of the objects are unique and priceless; others were once commonplace, but in both cases they form part of the history of the Island and are a testament to what life was like here in times gone by. They are arranged by themes, set out below:

Tourism

Artists, Writers & Poets

Transport

Hearth & Home

Mining & other industries

Fishing

Agriculture

Wartime

Politics & Constitution

The TT Phenomenon