There are four new exhibitions at the museum, starting in December 2009.
‘Peter Pan in Rustington’ includes a display of photographs and objects relating to J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, and the Llewelyn Davies family, whose boys were the inspiration for Barrie’s story of Peter Pan. Both J.M. Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies’ spent many holidays staying in Rustington.
‘Barrie as Captain Hook and Michael Llewelyn Davies as Peter Pan, Rustington, 1906’
The
Old Cottage Toys exhibition tells the fascinating story of
the Fleischmann family, refugees from Czechoslovakia, who
settled in Rustington during the Second
World War and started their own cottage industry making
beautiful, handmade dolls. The
business became extremely successful, selling to
many big department stores until it closed at the end
of the
1970s.
'Susi Fleischmann and Old Cottage Dolls'
'Sussex Pastfinders’ is a new display of archaeology of Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, Medieval and Post Medieval objects that have been found in the local vicinity by a local metal detectorist’s group, the ‘Sussex Pastfinders’. The display includes a collection of coins through the ages and other items dug up from the ground.
'Roman Coins'
‘Hidden evidence of Rustington at War’ is a display of World War II objects, dug up from the ground in Rustington.
