Women in the Mines
Women in the Mines Many people today can recall what the valleys were like in the 1960s, 70s and 80s when mining and steelworks were dominant. Roads were busy with lorries, the railways were in [...]
The Iron Age Llyn Fawr Hoard
LLYN FAWR and LLYN FACH Llyn Fawr, and the smaller Llyn Fach, are natural lakes situated below Craig Y Llyn (Rhigos Mountain) at the North-West end of the Rhondda Cynon Taff area. Humans [...]
The Work of Paul Peter Piech
The Work of Paul Peter Piech – a lesson for all The museum boasts a large collection of linocut prints by artist Paul Peter Piech, including a small collection of ‘Racism is a [...]
Paul Robeson and the Cwmbach Male Choir
The connection between Paul Robeson, the Cwmbach Male Choir, and the South Wales NUM I first discovered the inspirational figure of Paul Robeson thanks to the Manic Street Preachers 2001 single [...]
The Sport of Quoits in the Cynon Valley
When looking down from Penrhiwllech Trail, above the lake at the Dare Valley Park, you will see a field with a large hut, in front of a row of houses. This field was the site of the 1936 Quoits [...]
Rees Hopkin Rhys, 1819 – 1899
A marble bust, the face stern and uncompromising, yet of lonely countenance, looks out from the public health display case in the museum’s gallery. The bust’s true to life likeness is that of [...]
Memories of the Silver Screen: The History of Cinema in the Cynon Valley
The museum collection includes interesting objects that are today as unfamiliar and unrecognisable to the younger generation as a farthingale. Some of these items include a magic lantern, a [...]
The Mountain Ash Choir: Hands Across the Ocean
From White House, Washington to Council House, Mountain Ash With changes in the US Presidency this year, the White House has been very much in the centre of world politics. Built between 1792 and [...]
The Festival of Britain 1951 in the Valleys
This blog post tells the story of local celebrations linked to the National Festival of Britain 1951 through objects in our collection, such as a theatre safety curtain and paper dresses. In [...]
‘Scargill Valley’: The 1984/5 Miners’ Strike
This blog will focus on an item in our collection used for industrial action, particularly the miners’ strike of 1985/85. The Penrhiwceiber Colliery Lodge banner beholds the story of a group of [...]
