The Brunel Museum, on the site of the Thames Tunnel, has today launched a crowdfunding campaign through Art Happens with Art Fund, in order to display a series of watercolours painted by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
The Museum is seeking to raise £18,500 to purchase a bespoke, archive-quality case to allow it to display the objects onsite at the Brunel Museum.
The Thames Tunnel watercolours are a series of images, hand drawn and coloured by both Brunels during the construction of the Thames Tunnel.
The watercolours were acquired at auction by the museum in 2017 with the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Friends of the National Libraries, and have since been in storage.
The rewards offered to those funding the programme include a behind the scenes tour from Brunel Museum Director Katherine McAlpine, and sponsorship of the illustrations. At the time of writing the campaign has 13 backers and has raised 9% of its funding target.
Art Fund’s crowdfunding platform has recently seen the successful backing of campaigns at the Royal Museums Greenwich and West Highland Museum, which combined have raised more than £50,000.
At The Brunel Museum is currently carrying out its ‘Brunel Museum Reinvented’ project, which will make improvements to its site.
A new pavilion and refurbished Engine House are among the plans which make up the project. Last year the museum received planning permission for the latest phase of the project, which is set to transform the visitor and heritage experience of the museum in Rotherhithe.
