点评:Museum, wee art gallery, library and archives all under one roof in this newly renovated A-listed building. Absolute pleasure to visit. For those who are engineering-minded, this institution dedicated to James Watt is obvs to visit and there is so much vital history about the inventor, his times and the ship industry on offer but this is also a wonderful place for those interested in visual culture and arts: a collection of oil paintings by McTaggert and Ferguson; a room with Egyptian artefacts including a mummy‘s coffin; sizeable models of war ships in glass cases a metre or so long; an excellent exhibition of William Niven‘s caricatures and political cartoons; a play space for youngsters and for older ones board games available; plus a creative space. I‘m making this sound like a Victorian Wunderkammer but actually the spaces are nicely differentiated and all is beautifully curated and flows very well. There seems to be something for every age range. There is a lift to the second floor and disabled access. Comfy seats with good support are available throughout the spacious, well-lit space. The institute is in a very inviting sunny green walled space. When I visited in April 2025 there were bees buzzing about the flowering hedges and some interesting-looking bulbs about to bud. A bench tucked away in one corner and a steam engine wheel on display next to a beautiful arching sculpture that reminded me of a giant navigational instrument. Fun, worthwhile, educational, free.
翻译:这座新近翻修的A级保护建筑内,集博物馆、小型艺术画廊、图书馆和档案馆于一身,绝对值得一游。对于工程爱好者来说,这座纪念詹姆斯·瓦特的机构绝对值得一游,它提供了大量关于这位发明家、他所处的时代以及造船业的重要历史资料。对于视觉文化和艺术爱好者来说,这里也是个绝佳去处:馆内收藏了麦克塔格特和弗格森的油画;一个展厅里陈列着埃及文物,包括一具木乃伊棺材;玻璃柜中陈列着尺寸巨大的战舰模型,长度约一米;威廉·尼文的漫画和政治漫画展精彩纷呈;这里既有儿童游乐场,也有适合大孩子的棋盘游戏;此外还有一个创意空间。我把这里描述成维多利亚时代的珍奇屋,但实际上,各个空间的划分非常巧妙,布置精美,布局流畅。似乎每个年龄段的人都能找到适合自己的活动。这里设有通往二楼的电梯和无障碍通道。宽敞明亮的空间里,舒适的座椅支撑性极佳。研究所坐落在阳光明媚、绿墙环绕的环境中,格外宜人。2025年4月我来到这里时,看到蜜蜂在花丛中嗡嗡作响,一些奇特的球根花卉即将绽放。角落里摆放着一张长椅,一个蒸汽机车轮陈列在一座美丽的拱形雕塑旁,让我想起了一个巨大的航海仪器。有趣、值得、有教育意义,而且免费。