Whitby Museum is an independent museum in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, run by Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society, a learned society and registered charity,[1] established in 1823. It is located in a building opened in 1931 in Pannett Park, Whitby, which also contains the Society's Library and Archive.
The museum contains a wide range of material relating to the history of Whitby, and has specialist collections relating to:
- Jurassic fossils, in particular ammonites and marine reptiles [2]
- Whitby jet
- Captain James Cook and HM Bark Endeavour
- Whitby's whaling industry.
- The Natural History of the North Yorkshire coast and moors
- Costume and textiles
The museum also contains a Hand of Glory, the dried and pickled hand of a hanged man, said to have magical powers.[3]
The museum has a reference library and archive documenting the industries and social history of the town and area. This is used as a research facility.
- ^ "Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society, registered charity no. 1171266". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ^ "Fossils". Whitby Museum. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ "Hand of Glory". Whitby Museum. Retrieved 22 June 2022.