Museum highlights star attractions with exclusive new product range

From pickles and preserves inspired by a 1910 grocer’s shop to a range of greetings cards celebrating the local dialect, Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) have introduced a swathe of exciting new products to their museum shop which celebrate their unique setting, storytelling and characters.

The refreshed approach brings in a series of newly developed ranges which have been designed to be more relevant to the heritage site’s offering, more appealing to visitors and, most importantly, to be sold exclusively in the Museum Shop. 

Among the new products there are several ranges that have been inspired by the Museum’s translocated buildings. Famous spots have been highlighted, including the iconic chippy: fans can take home a jar of Hobbs’ & Sons pickled eggs or onions, and can even wear their own Hobbs’ apron in the iconic green colour of the shopfront.

The team worked with freelance consultant Matthew Henderson (Creative Ideas and Solutions) on the project. Speaking about the launch and working with the Museum, Matthew said: “It’s been a brilliant process working with the BCLM Team, from first identifying the USPs that visitors most love, to developing the master artwork and final products. As a team we’ve tried to ensure the highest attention to detail, from charity messaging to storytelling and some Black Country humour thrown in too!”

Working with Anya Kirkby, who created all designs including those inspired by the museum collection, they commissioned illustrations and artwork from heritage artists that Anya has used to create vibrant illustrations bringing characters and Museum icons to life across a whole range of products.

The Museum’s iconic Historic Characters, who bring the Museum’s stories to life and are a visitor favourite, have been celebrated in several new ranges, including a range for “Bostin’ Black Country Women”. The Museum hope that this range will empower Black Country folk to feel empowered and honour their heritage.

Kirsty Clark, enterprise manager (Concept Development) at Black Country Living Museum, said: “We needed the new products to capture our audience and be an authentic representation of who we are. We wanted to accurately represent characters from all different walks of life, reflecting the reality of our community here in the Black Country. If you have a great interaction with our characters, we want you to be able to take home a product that will keep that memory alive beyond your visit.”

Many of the ranges have now gone on sale in the Museum Shop and have proven popular with visitors already. Bestsellers so far include keyrings which show off the vibrant artwork style of the Museum’s historic fairground, stationery inspired by the Edwardian school and magnets in the shape of fish and chips.

Pictured: A Museum colleague holding Hobbs merchandise