Established | 1814 |
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Location | Science Museum, London |
Coordinates | 51°29′51″N 0°10′29″W / 51.4975°N 0.174722°W |
Accreditation | Arts Council England |
Collections | Emphasis on horology in London, 17th century to date |
Curator | Anna Rolls |
Website | "Clockmakers Museum". |
The Clockmakers' Museum in London, England, is believed to be the oldest collection specifically of clocks and watches in the world.[1] The collection belongs to and is administered by the Clockmakers’ Charity, affiliated to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, founded in 1631 by Royal Charter.[2] Since 2015 it has been housed in a gallery provided by the Science Museum in South Kensington, having formerly been located in the Guildhall complex in the City of London since 1874, where it first opened to the public. Admission is free.
The formation of the collection dates back to 1814.[3] The principal goal of the museum is to educate the public about the history of the field of clock and watchmaking (horology), principally in the City of London, and also to promote education and career possibilities in the craft of horology, which as of 2019 was placed on the HCA Red List of Endangered Crafts. The Archive of the Clockmakers is managed on its behalf by the London Metropolitan Archive and is located at Guildhall Library, where the Library collection of printed books is also held and managed.