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Our Collection

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Path the the Orchard, 1908, oil on canvas

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Tagg’s Island, 1919, oil on canvas

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Portrait of a Canadian Soldier, 1918, pencil on paper
(page in a sketchbook)

Art

The museum owns 650 oil paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings and 50 watercolours making it the largest collection of his work in the world. A significant number of these paintings are studies and preparatory works.

The art collection contains 54 sketchbooks containing around 3,000 drawings by Alfred Munnings and another 1,000 loose sketches on paper, race cards, menus and other scraps of paper that he had to hand.

The majority of the collection was given in trust by Lady Munnings in 1966. An additional 28 paintings were bought between 1973 and 1984 and includes favourites such as Path to the Orchard and Tagg’s Island.

There are a small number of pictures on loan from public and private lenders.

Archive

The archive consists of over 7,000 items including photographs, letters, manuscripts, exhibition catalogues, journals and other ephemera.

Furniture

Alfred Munnings collected furniture from an early age buying pieces from antique dealers in Norfolk and Suffolk. Some of the furniture dates back to the 17th century. That furniture remains in situ from when Sir Alfred and Lady Munnings were in residence.

The Studio

The Studio was originally designed for Alfred Munnings by Boulton & Paul
and built in the meadow behind the farmhouse belonging to his aunt in Swainsthorpe, Norfolk.
It was dismantled in 1919 and brought to Castle House, by train and cart,
where it was re-erected in the garden where it still stands today.

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