'The Textile Collection of Elisabeth Frink' February 2024-May 2026 February 2024-November 2026 Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993) Dame Elisabeth Frink was greatly affected by her up bringing during the Second World War and the military family she came from. Her work examines the strength and vulnerability of the male form. She was fascinated by birds and often depicted them. Using wire frames, Frink would build up her sculptures with plaster before casting them in bronze. In her lifetime she created 403 sculptures. As well as sculptures Frink drew, painted and designed in other mediums. Her art career started at Guildford Art School before she went on to Chelsea School of Art. Upon graduating in 1952, her first exhibition was entitled 'Humans and Other Animals'. Through the 1950s and 1960s, she taught at the Chelsea School of Art and St Martin's School of Art in London, alongside her blossoming art career. Whilst living and working in France in the late 1960s that she first started to experiment with her so-called 'Goggle Head' statues, partly inspired by the glasses worn by General Oufkir and to examine oppressive regimes. Upon returning to the UK, she moved to Dorset in 1976 and the following year she was elected as a Royal Academician. In 1982 she was awarded a DBE and continued to exhibit her work and take on large scale sculpture commissions including The Walking Madonna in 1981 which stands outside Salsbury Cathedral. Her final work, The Welcoming Christ, for Liverpool Cathedral was unveiled a few days before her death from cancer in 1993. Many of her sculptures are on display in museums, galleries, towns, cities and religious buildings across Britain and the world. Photographs and ephemera are available to study at Dorset History Centre. The Museum of Dorset holds the Elisabeth Frink collection. The textiles on display are from the Frink Archive at The Blandford Fashion Museum, provided to The Blandford Fashion Museum in accordance with the wishes of the artist's late son, Lin Jammet.

Exhibitions 'Laura Ashley : From Kitchen to Catwalk' Extended until Summer 2026 Read more 'The Textile Collection of Elisabeth Frink' February 2024-May 2026 Read more 'Power Dressing' February 2025 - November 2026 Read more '20th Century Brides : A Hundred Years of Wedding Dress' 16th February 2026 Read more 'Youthquake:1960s' 16th February 2026 Read more More... More ... More... More... More...

Title Join us at the Blandford Fashion Museum on April 2, 2026 at 10:30 AM for a fun, hands-on event where you can create your own Easter decorations! Don’t miss out on making your space extra special this Easter! We will stitch an easy pattern onto wooden eggs and make a window decoration. All materials are supplied. A drink and a biscuit are included in the price and you can also look around the Fashion Museum, if you wish. All children must be accompanied by a parent/carer. This workshop must have 4 attendees to run, so invite your friends to join you. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/easter-decorations-tickets-1984771603294?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Previous Next

Governance Blandford Fashion Museum is a charity registered under the name of Cavalcade of Costume Limited (Charity Number: 1052471) and also a registered company limited by guarantee. It is governed by a board of Trustees each serving for a term of three years. Presently there are nine trustees including the Treasurer and Chairman.In addition to an Annual General Meeting, the Trustees meet monthly. The day-to day management of the museum is the responsibility of the Management committee under the direction of the Operations Manager. This committee meets quarterly. The Costume and Display team, led by the Museum’s Curator, are responsible for the care of the museum’s collections and the programme of exhibitions.Feel free to contact us for any further information.

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Online Talks List Online Talks for 2026 coming soon ...... Calling all Fashion Designers! Be inspired by our 'Youthquake:1960s' exhibition to design your own garments. We will use our Youthquake:1960s exhibition as a starting point to spark creativity in designing some exciting and innovative garments. Students from Arts University Bournemouth and local 6th forms worked with the staff from the Fashion Museum to bring this dynamic exhibition to life. We will also examine the the sketches, paintings and collage work of Heidy and Isabelle Becks. All materials will be supplied but feel free to bring your own pens, pencils and colouring materials with you. Under 16s must be accompanied by a parent/carer https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/calling-all-fashion-designers-tickets-1984958686866?aff=ebdsoporgprofile Read More

Get egg-cited and make some Easter chicks and Easter baskets! Join us at the Blandford Fashion Museum on April 2, 2026 at 1:30 PM for a fun, hands-on Easter craft session! We'll be making cute Easter chicks and colorful Easter baskets—perfect for celebrating the season. Don’t miss out on this egg-cellent event! All materials are supplied. Children must be accompanied by a parent/carer. A drink and a biscuit are included in the price and you may also look around the Fashion Museum if you wish. This workshop must have 4 attendees to run. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/get-egg-cited-and-make-some-easter-chicks-and-easter-baskets-tickets-1984769484958?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

'Youthquake:1960s' 16th February 2026 Blandford Fashion Museum is excited to present the 'Youthquake:1960s' exhibition, as part of the Fashioning Our Future project with The Salisbury Museum. Thanks to funding received from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Fashioning Our Future project, students from Arts University Bournemouth and local Sixth Forms have been working with the museum team to bring to life this dynamic exhibition. Choosing objects from the museum’s extensive fashion collection, the students explored 1960s boutique fashion alongside homemade garments encapsulating the free-spirited energy of the 1960s. Many of the garments featured in the exhibition represent innovative sartorial statements expressed during the 1960s era through bold garments made at home. This adventurous attitude to style is a theme that resonated with the students, aligning with their concerns around sustainability and making conscious fashion choices. In addition to marveling at the glorious 1960s fashions on display, visitors can also step into fashions of the era with a specially selected collection of garments for dressing up and handling. From crochet to patchwork, bold minidresses and boho maxi dresses, expect to be immersed in the 1960s era in this fantastic fashion exhibition.

Blandford Fashion Museum welcomes groups to view our wonderful exhibitions. We are open for such visits on either Monday, Thursday or Friday between 10.30am and 4.00pm. In the first instance, email the museum to check whether the date you would like to come is available. If the date is free, we will then email you a booking form along with the museum’s bank details so that immediate payment can be made. Only BACS payments are acceptable – no cheques or cash. The booking will only be confirmed once full payment has been received. We do not take bookings over the phone. Lastly, our team is made up of part-time volunteers so you may not receive an immediate response to your request. We aim to get back to you as quickly as possible so please allow a week for a reply. Our displays are over two floors. The building is a mix of Georgian, Victorian and 20th century construction. Both floors are on varying levels and may not be suitable for all visitors. Sadly, we do not, as yet, have a lift. There are ground floor toilets facilities and are easily accessible. We have a tearoom and gift shop and you may wish to enjoy a drink and a piece of cake when you visit. However, there is limited seating and it can be busy with our regular customers. There are 4 categories of visits. Please read carefully to decide which category applies best to your proposed visit. Bronze Visit This is designed for a group of up to ten people to view the current exhibitions accompanied by one of our volunteers. The tour normally lasts about one and a half hours. After the tour you may want to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of a cake in our award-winning tearoom and gift shop. Please note – refreshments are not included in the entry price. The cost is £100 and payment will be made at the point of booking. This is fully refundable if you cancel more than a week before the proposed visit. Email collections@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk to check for availability and a booking form. Silver Visit Silver is for larger groups (up to 20) who would like a more in-depth experience. The visit will be led by a costume and/or textile professional who will share their extensive knowledge with you. The visit will be divided into 2 groups; half the group will tour the museum while the other half will enjoy, at close quarters, some of the costumes we have in our archive. The groups will then swap over. The visit will last up to 3 hours. After the tour you may want to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of a cake in our award-winning tearoom and gift shop. Please note – refreshments are not included in the entry price. The cost is £250 and payment will be made at the point of booking. This is refundable if you cancel more than a week before the proposed visit. Email collections@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk to check for availability and a booking form. Gold Visit This is designed for students (up to 5) to view items in the archive for project research. The length of time can be discussed with the collections manager. The cost is £25 per hour and payment will be made at the point of booking. This is fully refundable if the visit is cancelled at least a week beforehand. These visits will be limited to either Thursday or Friday. Email collections@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk to check for availability and a booking form. Platinum Visit A bespoke service available to individual researchers. A one-to-one visit costs £25 per hour and details will be discussed with the collections manager at the time of booking. These visits will be limited to either a Thursday or Friday. Email collections@blandfordfashionmuseum.co.uk to check for availability and a booking form. Group Visits

Events Pants - a Brief History Tuesday 24th March 2026 2:00 to 3:30 pm Read More

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