News
For Renewed Health and Happiness- New research into the treatments at The Royal Pump Rooms

A research project funded by MLA West Midlands has shed new light on the treatments carried out at the Royal Pump Rooms over the past two hundred years. Katherine Foxhall spent two months working at the Museum researching the collections and archives relating to the treatments at the Royal Pump Rooms held by the Museum, Leamington Library and Warwickshire County Record Office. This research is being used to catalogue the photographs and medical equipment in the museum collection, answer questions from visitors and researchers, improve interpretation in the Museum, inform educational materials and events and to update this website.

Senior Curator, Alison Plumridge said:

"The Royal Pump Rooms is part of the community’s history. Many of our visitors learned to swim here or were treated or worked in the physiotherapy department. It is vital for us to record this part of local history so we are delighted that this project has been supported by MLA West Midlands: the regional council for museums, libraries and archives."

Historic Railway Poster Acquired for the Museum Collection

GWR poster by Ronald Lampitt ©Warwick District Council

The Art Gallery & Museum at the Royal Pump Rooms are celebrating their successful bid for a much sought after railway poster depicting Leamington Spa. 

The poster was jointly commissioned by the Manager of the Royal Pump Rooms and the Great Western Railway company. It shows a lady drinking a glass of spa water in Jephson Gardens with the Royal Pump Rooms in the distance. The poster probably dates from the 1930s or 40s, before the railways were nationalised.

The poster was designed by artist Ronald Lampitt. He was an important graphic designer who designed a number of posters for the GWR as well as illustrating children’s books, including some of the famous Ladybird series.

Nicky Tibbitts, Curatorial Officer, Social History said:

"Historic railway posters are wonderful to look at and are very evocative of different eras. This is a lovely addition to our collections.

There is currently a reproduction of the Lampitt poster in the history display, so it will be fantastic to add the original to our collection. We are especially grateful to the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund for the grant they gave towards its purchase."

The poster will be displayed in the museum and feature in Seeing 'Shakespeare Country', an exhibition celebrating the tourist attractions of the area which will be held at the Art Gallery & Museum in the summer of 2005.