Explore our collections
Lincoln Museum is home to a diverse range of objects, from Lincolnshire’s earliest inhabitants to the latest contemporary art; from Lincolnshire and beyond. Not everything can be on display at the same time, so use the categories below to explore our collections.
You can find articles, publications and other documents relating to our collections free to download on our Resources page.
Collections by type
British Archaeology
British Archaeology
The British archaeological collections are the principal archaeology collections for the County of Lincolnshire. They contain archaeological material from the Palaeolithic period to the 18th century, found casually or through organised fieldwork.
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Fine Art
Fine Art
This is Lincolnshire’s principle fine art collection, which contains almost 6000 works of art from the 16th century through to the present day. It represents a wealth of artistic heritage from across Lincolnshire, Britain and Europe.
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Decorative Arts
Decorative Arts
The decorative arts collection encompasses ceramics, glassware, metalwork, enamels and jewellery. The James Ward Usher bequest, on which the Usher Gallery was founded, forms the basis of this collection.
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Numismatics
Numismatics
The numismatic collection contains coins, tokens and historic medals from Lincolnshire dating from the Iron Age to the modern day. The coins from the Medieval Lincoln and Stamford mints are particularly significant.
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Sculpture
Sculpture
From neoclassical marble to contemporary bronze the sculpture collection contains works by eminent artists from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
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Greek & Roman Archaeology
Greek & Roman Archaeology
The Greek and Roman archaeology collections were formed through the donation of private collections built up in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They contain a range of everyday and decorative objects.
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Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
The small Egyptology collections were formed in the early 20th century through donations of private collections and contain artefacts pertaining to daily life, religious beliefs and mummification.
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Arms & Armour
Arms & Armour
The arms and armour collection contains examples of armour and weaponry from Britain and Europe from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including complete suits of armour, swords, staff weapons, firearms and crossbows.
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Horology
Horology
The horological collections contain the James Ward Usher collection of English, French and Swiss watches from the 17th to the 19th centuries, along with a collection of longcase clocks by local and national makers.
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Geology
Geology
The geological and palaeontological collections contain a broad but representative selection of rocks, minerals and fossils from Lincolnshire, Britain and the rest of the world.
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Natural History
Natural History
The Natural History collection is a representative assemblage of Lincolnshire flora and fauna, including birds, mammals, insects, plants and shells.
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World Cultures
World Cultures
The World Cultures collection features a wide variety of ethnographic material from cultures around the world, mainly Africa, Oceania, the Americas and the Arctic Circle, in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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