Rapid Travel Chai

The Wedgwood Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, UK was in the British press yesterday as UNESCO jumped into the effort to prevent its court-ordered sale to pay off pension obligations for the Waterford Wedgwood Potteries (articles in The Guardian and The Telegraph). Naturally there is a campaign to save the museum and political wrangling continues, with no confirmed closure date, but if in the UK, consider this for the itinerary while it is still around.

The museum was added in 2011 to the UK Memory of the World list, the country-level corollary to UNESCO’s global Memory of the World Programme. The listing describes the museum as:

The Wedgwood Museum Archive Collection is one of the most complete ceramic manufacturing archives in existence. The collection also embraces all aspects of industry, marketing, productions, fashion, taste, topical political and social contexts including celebrated people from the Darwin family, artists and writers, through to contemporary politicians and industrialists, including members of the Lunar Society and other influential scientists as well as analysis of a broader range of topics. Unparalleled in its diversity and breadth the 80,000 plus documents embrace every imaginable subject from pot to people, transport to trade, society and social conditions.

The Rapid Traveler hopes this precious cultural resource can be saved. Meanwhile, see it while you can.