Home and Leisure Life
This section contains stories about what people used to do in their leisure time and also about their homes. People have always played games since ancient times. Some stories explore the types of pastimes there once were. Leisure time was not just about playing games. Sewing at home was once a very popular hobby. Leisure activities that took place outside the home included watching puppet theatres. Two stories take a look at what everyday items in the home are made from, including toothpaste!
Singer sewing machine
No museum social history collection would be complete without one! It may be common, but its invention was a miraculous time saving device in the home. Read on to find out the history behind this 1917 Singer Sewing machine.
Toothpaste to Toasters, Matches to Make-up (part 1)
Discover the surprising ways we use minerals in our day-to-day lives, often without realising it. From the glitter in your make-up to the whiteness of your teeth, some minerals are useful for all sorts of things. Read on to see how many times you use these minerals every day.
Toothpaste to Toasters, Matches to Make-up (part 2)
Discover the surprising ways we use minerals in our day-to-day lives, often without realising it. See how quartz keeps the time and calcite is useful for a stomach ache. Read on to see how many times you use these minerals every day.
Drawing on Hull's Past - The F.S. Smith Collection (part 1)
Hull's Old Town is an historic area that even today includes many Georgian and Victorian buildings. F.S. Smith created many drawings of its streets between around 1880 and 1920. Some show some early timber-framed buildings that no longer exist. Others depict familiar sights of today like the King William III statue.
Drawing on Hull's Past - The F.S. Smith Collection (part 2)
Hull grew rapidly outwards from the Old Town from around 1800. F.S. Smith captured the look of the streets in his drawings between 1880 and 1920. They reveal a city of contrasts, showing the housing and workplaces of both rich and poor. He also took his sketchbook to outlying villages and drew them.
Board Games - The Roll of Knucklebones and Dice Throughout History
The history of toys and games goes back thousands of years. Throughout Hull's museum collection's there are many objects to show you the different kinds of games that were played in Britain and how they have developed through the centuries. See how knucklebones and dice were important in this development - Come and play!
Board games - Boards and Counters
The history of toys and games goes back thousands of years. Throughout Hull's museum collection's there are many objects to show you the different kinds of games that were played in Britain and how they have developed through the centuries. See how this has happened, sometimes in the strangest of places - Come and play!
The Survival of Games - Hunt and Race Games
The history of toys and games goes back thousands of years. Throughout Hull's museum collection's there are many objects to show you the different kinds of games that were played in Britain and how they have developed through the centuries. See the creation of Hunt and Race Games - Come and play!
The Survival of Games - War Games
The history of toys and games goes back thousands of years. Throughout Hull's museum collection's there are many objects to show you the different kinds of games that were played in Britain and how they have developed through the centuries. See the creation of War Games - Come and play!
Games are Prohibited Here!
The history of toys and games goes back thousands of years. Throughout Hull's museum collection's there are many objects to show you the different kinds of games that were played in Britain and how they have developed through the centuries. See some of the games that were banned throughout history - come and play!
I Promise to Abstain
During the late Victorian period the influence of 'Temperance' groups and societies that advocated abstinence from alcohol led the popularity of fizzy water and soft drinks. Read on to find out more about Temperance organisations, such as The Band of Hope and 'Hull People's Public House Company'.
Fizzy Pop and Water
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Hull had a prosperous soft drinks industry, with 23 makers listed in the 1892 Bulmer's 'Directory of Hull'. A wide range of drinks were made including lemonade, soda, ginger beer, orangeade and 'aerated water'.
Harlequin Design Candle Doubters
The Harlequin is a fictional character dating back to the Middle Ages and can be found in stories from across Europe. Read on to find more about how it has been used in people's everyday lives!
