This curious loaf comes with an incredible family story. It was baked with the last of the white flour during World War One. Imagine the temptation to eat it rather than keep it, knowing fresh white bread might not be available for a long time.

J.W. Candler was a local ironmonger whose shop once stood in Pickering’s Market Place. In 1895, the business was taken over by George Cooper Snr. His family still runs the business today. The original shop, shown in this photo, is now a bakery.

Born in 1829, George Piercy became a Wesleyan Methodist missionary in Canton, China.
His diary provides a fascinating insight into his journey from London to Hong Kong and Canton with his wife, Jane.

Printed by E.T.W. Dennis & Sons, Scarborough, these novelty cards were produced for places across the country with the town name overprinted and the photographs inserted. The company is credited with printing the first British commercial picture postcard.

Born in Pickering, Francis Nicholson (1753–1844) was often called the ‘father of watercolour painting’. He was also a pioneer of lithography, with examples of his work in many major collections, including those of the British Museum and the Tate in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Pickering Town Football Club has been part of the town’s sporting life since 1888. This fixture poster shows their matches for the season, offering a snapshot of the Market Place over 50 years ago. Some of the Pickering businesses featured are still going strong today, including George Cooper & Sons, Flintoft Ironmongers, and Television House.

This machine once stood outside the Masonic Lodge on Bridge Street, Pickering. Wills first introduced Gold Flake cigarettes in 1901 and pioneered the use of cigarette cards to build brand loyalty. By 2011, concerns about the health risks of smoking led to cigarette vending machines being banned in the UK.

This ornate National Till belonged to the White Swan, Pickering and was donated to the museum in 2024. After conservation and cleaning, it is now on display for the first time. Invented in Ohio in 1879, National Tills were both practical and decorative. The intricate pattern was created by Tiffany of New York.

This embosser from the Bay Horse Pub in Pickering proudly displays telephone number 5. They must have been one of the first businesses to get a phone in the town. Who do you think the others belonged to?