Jane's Midlife Journey

The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum is situated in the former home of Merton and Annie Russell-Cotes. The Russell-Cotes were Victorian travel bloggers. The couple travelled the world writing about their trips and collecting souvenirs along the way. I have been making scrapbooks of my travels since the age of 10 and am quite proud of my collection, but the Russell-Cotes were in a whole different league.

Whereas I buy a postcard, or perhaps a fridge magnet, they purchased a statue or an oil painting or even a canoe. In fact, they collected so many souvenirs on their travels around the globe, that in 1901 Merton had a house purpose built, not only as a residence, but also to house their collection.

Upon their deaths, the house and its contents were bequeathed to Bournemouth Council. Their former home remains home to their prolific collection of art and other souvenirs of their travels and is open to the public as an art gallery and museum. The collection boasts around 50,000 pieces.

I tried to convince my daughters that they should do a similar thing with my travel collection when I die, but they tell me they’re going to make my scrapbooks into a bonfire and burn me on it.

How to get to Russell-Cotes

The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum sits on the East Cliff, overlooking Bournemouth Beach. It is a short walk from the town centre or can be reached from the prom via a ramped walkway just east of the pier. There is a bus stop in front of the museum on Russell-Cotes Road, which is served by the 33 and the 70 and 80 summer Breezer buses.

Parking

Bath Road South car park is the nearest car park. Prices are seasonal, costing £2.10 for an hour in winter and £3.30 in summer. More details can be found here. There is also Pay & Display parking on East Overcliff Drive, which costs £2.40 for an hour. Details here. Note that Russell-Cotes is situated in a beautiful spot overlooking the beach. If the weather is nice, the car parks will be busy.

Russell-Cotes Opening Times

The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday between 10 am and 5 pm. Once a month, on the third Thursday of the month, from 5 pm until 8 pm, a themed Museum Late evening takes place, focusing on an element of the vast collection. Upcoming themes are:

• Midsummer
• Animals in Art & Nature
• Time Travellers’ Reunion
• The Art of Wellbeing

Price

Entry costs £8.50 for adults (£4.50 for children and concessions). There are special prices for families and annual passes are available.

Gardens

Before you even enter the museum, there is plenty to admire. The view for one. And the gardens. And indeed the house itself, with its castle like turrets from where there are even more impressive views across the bay to the Purbecks and the Isle of Wight.

House

Once inside, you can visit the original Victorian house plus four adjoining galleries built later to house more of the couple’s collection. The house itself is a work of art. It consists of three floors with a grand staircase and stained glass ceiling.

Morning Room

In this room with a stunning view, used by Merton and Annie for their breakfast and relaxation, the best pieces of the museum’s collection are on display. This includes Spray by a former teacher from Bournemouth College of Art, Harold Williamson.

Moorish Alcove

My favourite room is the ornate Moorish Alcove, with a striking bust of Ira Frederick Aldridge in character as Othello. Aldridge is believed to be the first black Shakespearean actor.

Gallery 1

Adjacent to the house is the first of the four galleries, commissioned by Annie in 1916. Pride of place here goes to an enormous oil painting of Mary and Joseph’s flight into Egypt entitled Anno Domini.

Gallery 2

The second gallery contains pieces collected by Merton (i.e. a lot more boobs). I loved the (fully clothed) Thames Embankment, although even here a naked water nymph puts in an appearance.

There’s also the morbidly beautiful sculpture of The Princes in the Tower. It depicts the bodies of Princes Edward and Richard, who are believed to have died in the Tower of London after being held captive by their uncle, King Richard III.

Temporary Exhibition

The remaining galleries house the twice yearly Temporary Exhibition. The current exhibition, which runs until October, is; In Her Own Voice: The Art of Lucy Kemp-Welch. Local artist Lucy was born in Bournemouth in 1869 and was renowned for her paintings of horses. From cute pictures of foals to working horses and war propaganda.

Most famous for her illustrations of Anna Sewell’s novel Black Beauty, Lucy made an income from her art at a time when there were very few female professional artists. My favourite is Foam Horses, depicting white horses off Bournemouth Beach.

Café

The museum has a café which sells drinks, cakes, sandwiches and afternoon tea.

Special Events

In addition to the monthly Museum Late evenings, the museum organises a range of activities throughout the year, such as activities for children during the school holidays and seasonal events during Christmas and Halloween. A series of Sixpence Days are held throughout the year with admission costing the original 1922 price of sixpence. The next Sixpence Day takes place on 15th September.

Russell-Cotes for Children

There is a children’s area with dressing up clothes, a puppet theatre and activity leaflets. The museum also holds events for children during the school holidays, such as treasure trails, garden games and craft sessions.

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

• Updated: June 2023