Standing proudly in our Printing Gallery, the Columbian Printing Press is one of the most significant and eye-catching objects in the Beck Isle Museum collection. 

Designed by American inventor George Clymer in the early 19th century, this remarkable press represents a major leap forward in printing technology and craftsmanship. It was capable of printing large pages with less physical effort than its wooden predecessors, revolutionising the way newspapers, posters, and books were produced.

Our press at Beck Isle Museum is a rare and beautiful example, preserved to showcase its role in the history of communication. Visitors can see the press up close, with demonstrations taking place most Mondays, in our printer’s workshop.

Throughout the 2025 season, you can step behind the scenes with a brand new exhibition, bringing rarely seen objects out of the store to showcase the fascinating and unique stories from Pickering’s past.

It’s been brought to you with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Find out more and cast your vote online.

As well as the main exhibition, we also have a changing display case which is being added to regularly as our incredible project team unearth new gems from the stores. Our dedicated volunteers have researched, catalogued, cleaned and repacked thousands of objects, before displaying a number of them for you to see.

Around the museum you’ll find many examples of Sydney Smith’s photography and camera equipment. Most locals are long-familiar with his very special images and at Beck Isle Museum we are very proud to hold his extensive archive. Together, his photographs capture rural life in the Ryedale area during the early to mid-20th century, from holidays and high days to the graft and grind of daily life. You’ll find notable individuals among his portraiture, and a range of evocative natural scenes from the region.

If you’ve seen Sydney’s images before and marvelled at his lighting or perfect placement of details, you’ll have appreciated the extraordinary talent of man ahead of his time. Sydney was renowned for his patience, often waiting for hours for the perfect conditions to create the light and shadows he was after.   

In December 1943, amidst the challenges of wartime, the Welsh Guards stationed in Pickering sought to bring joy to local children by hosting a Christmas Eve party at the Memorial Hall. The renowned artist and fellow Guardsman, Rex Whistler, took the lead in transforming the hall for this festive occasion. The space was decorated with murals depicting Father Christmas, ice-skating scenes, and children enjoying cakes. Flanking the stage were two impressive 10-foot-high wooden panels, each showcasing a caricatured Welsh Guardsman.

After narrowly escaping disposal, the two guards were rescued and are now proudly displayed at Beck Isle Museum.

Rex Whistler’s life was tragically cut short in action in Normandy shortly after D-Day in 1944.

Most Mondays at the museum you can meet our Blacksmith hard at work at the forge and soak in the sounds and scents of life in a rural town.

Once the heart of any community, a town blacksmith was responsible for a range of vital roles, including crafting and repairing tools, making horseshoes and hooping wheels.  

Many men used to visit their local barber’s shop, not just when they were in need of a haircut but also for a shave too.

High-backed swivel chairs have been used for centuries to make the job easier. Our swivel chair came from one of Fred Pickering’s two shops. One was located in the Vaults, at the top of Market Place in Pickering and the other was above a leather shop, also on Market Place. The hairdressing sign on the wall came from Fred’s shop on the Vaults.

One of our visitor’s favourite, this special room has been created to give a glimpse into a country pub from the late 19th century. At that time, there was the equivalent of one pub in Pickering for every 150 residents.

The White Swan in the Market Place had its own brewery, known as Coverdales, based in their yard. We have many of their reusable stoneware bottles in our collection.

In the pub, you can try your hand at traditional pub games!

We have an extensive collection of costumes at Beck Isle Museum, spanning a range of periods. You can always see a selection on display in the costume gallery. This year the focus is ‘Walking Out’, with outfits representing every decade of the 20th century up to the 1970s.

Across the museum, you’ll find lots of special pieces from the collection. On display currently are dresses designed for little boys, ornate fans, and beautiful purses and jewellery.

But don’t miss the Gentleman’s Outfitters. We have many of the original fittings from ‘Greensmith and Thackwray’, a high-end gentleman’s clothing store. Founded in the 1850s, there were shops in Scarborough, Harrogate and other towns across the county, well-known for catering to the needs of the Gentleman oversees.