Christmas is coming and at People’s History Museum (PHM) the shelves at PHM Shop are full of gift ideas and colourful packages that are creatively inspired by the national museum of democracy’s collection of objects and artefacts. For those who want to make a statement in style, wear their heart on their sleeve or choose art that’s empowering then PHM Shop is the perfect destination, with an array of original thinking for your nearest and dearest.
You can strike a light for a friend or loved one with a box of fireside matches (priced £12) designed for PHM exclusively by the fabulous Rickard Sisters. Featuring a beautiful piece of artwork, that carries the words ‘Time To Strike!’, they are part of a trailblazing collection that includes graphical tea towels, posters, portrait postcards and books. Prices start at £1 for a portrait postcard.
Street artist Stewy has long been a friend and supporter of PHM and in the spirit of Christmas giving has created a series of prints of iconic figures, with every penny of each purchase going towards the work of the museum. Stewy’s hand cut stencils in full scale can be seen on the streets of Manchester, London, Birmingham and his home city of Bristol. The colourful series of A3 prints depict some legends that are also well known to PHM: Billy Bragg, John Cooper Clarke, Ken Loach, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft and Robert Wyatt. Each print is signed and priced at £25.
Anniversaries are big news and for collectable gifts there are a number of headline shop pieces, including the First in the Fight range that depicts the much loved Manchester suffragette banner (prices starting at a pocket friendly £4.50). In recognition of the 40th anniversary of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) a limited edition t-shirt has been designed based on the famous Pits and Perverts gig that was held in Camden’s Electric Ballroom in 1984. LGSM’s story is featured in the film Pride and the response that the LGBTQIA+ community had to the 1984 to 1985 Miners’ Strike has captured hearts ever since, as will this t-shirt priced £20.
With everything from necklaces that carry the suffragette colours and secret messages in morse code, to hexagon shaped earrings featuring a beehive that symbolises the city of Manchester, shoppers will be spoilt for choice by the eye catching designs of The Magpie’s Daughter. All the work of Manchester maker Rachel Saunders, prices for the range start from £16 and each piece comes in a gift box.
Our final pick is a favourite of the whole team at PHM. Why not spruce up your Christmas tree with the addition of a hand knitted bee decoration – complete with a Santa hat! Like the Manchester worker bees that they are fashioned on, these cute little creations will generate a real buzz and are the work of talented crafter Stephanie Saunders (priced £7.50).
On Sunday 1 December PHM Shop will be taking part in Museum Shop Sunday, which encourages people to support cultural venues and heritage sites in their festive shopping.
PHM Shop offers a selection of products online, but for the full range visit the museum where opening hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm, every day except Tuesdays. For online orders the last posting date is Thursday 19 December and UK standard delivery is from £4.50. To find out about visiting PHM, its full exhibitions and events programme visit phm.org.uk and you can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to receive PHM’s e-newsletter.
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laura.sullivan@fidopr.co.uk / clare.short@fidopr.co.uk
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About People’s History Museum
People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester is the UK’s national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain: past, present, and future. Through an eclectic and colourful mix of historic and contemporary collections, featuring banners, badges, posters, photography and more, the museum celebrates the radical stories of people coming together to champion ideas worth fighting for.
Offering an engaging programme of exhibitions and events, collaborating with communities to create authentic content, the museum is Family Friendly throughout – inspiring the next generation to be active citizens.
People’s History Museum encourages visitors to be empowered by the past to make a change for the future. We are all together in the fight for a fairer world.
About Arts Council England (ACE)
PHM is an Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). The work of PHM is supported using public funding by ACE, the national development agency for creativity and culture. ACE have set out their strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 they want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 they will invest over £467 million of public money from government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.
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