Object of the Month

Each month we highlight one of the objects from the collection. This month it is the Meridian Marker.

 

The Meridian Markers were one of the ways in which East Grinstead Town Council decided to celebrate the Millennium. They were erected on each of the town's roads that the Greenwich Meridian line crosses. Brick markers were produced in two versions and erected on both sides of each road at exactly 0 degrees longitude. There are also markers in the grounds of East Court and Queen Victoria Hospital.

 

The Town's Meridian Markers were featured on BBC News South East on 21 January as part of the History of the World Series.

 

History of the World is a partnership between the BBC, the British Museum and Museums across the country, that showcases the power of objects to tell stories and make connection across the globe. East Grinstead's Meridian marker is one of just ten objects from museums across Sussex, that were chosen to be part of the project

 

Sarah Corn, the Museum's Curator said “ We chose the Meridian Markers as they are a permanent reminder of East Grinstead's place at the centre of time, sitting in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres, and gives the markers a resonance throughout the world."

 

Object of the month