A CENTENARY exhibition, Gunnersbury Unlocked: From Private Grounds to Public Park, launches this Saturday (28) at Gunnersbury Park and Museum.
It gives visitors the chance to discover the history of a well-loved landmark that has been part of daily life since 1926.
Key themes to be found throughout the exhibition include Gunnersbury’s role in the world of sports and leisure, oral histories of the park, its significance to the community during Covid-19, and the part that Gunnersbury Park played in WWII.
This wartime history is reflected in one of the most interesting objects on display, a glass case of WWII shrapnel.
Also on display will be pieces on loan from the archives of Brentford FC, as well as a life-sized tree, inspired by a resident for whom the park offered a place of respite during lockdown
Visitors will also be able to learn more about the grand opening of the park by Neville Chamberlain on May 21, 1926, and the process by which it went from a millionaire’s private estate to a public park.
Head of Museum Services Victoria Barlow said: “Gunnersbury Park holds a special place in many people’s heart but it’s easy to take for granted that it’s always just been here.
“Until the handing over to the people of West London 100 years ago, it was private land and gardens.”
The interactive exhibition is free to the public and runs until the end of the year.
https://www.visitgunnersbury.org/
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