Gallery Decant – Part 1

Deinstalling the Worcestershire Soldier Gallery…

The Worcestershire Soldier display closed on 31 August 2025. Starting in the first week of September, our museum team began the process of decanting the for gallery, beginning with the removal of firearms and associated weaponry.

A total of 11 firearms were removed from their cases to be correctly catalogued and packaged. Every firearm was condition checked and tagged with its museum accession number before being wrapped in acid-free paper and secured with bubble-wrap. This is done to avoid damage during transportation and prevent contact with harmful substances.

The museum’s collection of rifles, revolvers and muskets range from the 19th century to the present day and require delicate handling with Nitrile gloves. Performing a condition report on each object ahead of packaging allows us to correctly catalogue any features which are imperceivable whilst an object is on display, these could be areas of interest or concern.

It was discovered during deinstallation that the butt of the Malaya Bolt Action Rifle, captured by ‘C’ Coy 1st Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment, in Malaya in 1952, is loose and in danger of becoming detached in the future. Once recorded, this information will help inform future conservation efforts and display measures.

Another crucial element of the deinstallation process, which contributes to museum collection records, is photographs. Every object removed from the former exhibit was photographed – every angle, every detail, from close-up and faraway.

Photographs can further help with keeping pieces of an object together. Alongside an accession tag, a photograph that clearly identifies an object with all of its parts can be extremely useful avoiding errors in storage.

A British Army Sten Gun, Mk 11, from the museum’s collection has a detachable ammunition cartridge which extends to the left side. For packaging purposes, the body of the firearm and the cartridge had to be separated. A parent photograph of the Sten Gun with the ammunition cartridge included will ensure the two items come back together for display in the future.

More insights into the deinstallation of the Worcestershire Soldier Gallery are listed on Gallery Updates on the Museum Blogs homepage, and also appear on our Facebook and Instagram!