Images and stories from Pearson Park have been captured in a new exhibition on display at Streetlife Museum, within the Museums Quarter.
From Saturday 10 June, you can take a trip down memory lane and learn more about the rich heritage of the city’s first People’s Park, gifted to the people of Hull by Zachariah Pearson in 1860. You will also see behind-the-scenes images of the recent restoration and how the park’s legacy continues to inspire today.
Councillor Rob Pritchard, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure, said: “This new exhibition tells the story of the park, from 1860, right up to the present day. There will be people’s stories from the park’s heyday as well as the many original features within the park including the seven Grade II listed features and landmarks.
“It also looks at the different ways that the local community’s lives have been intertwined with the park, from weddings, games, using the playground, the park keepers and the park gardeners and a tribute to the staff and people who have looked after the park and the community over the years.
“This exhibition is a celebration of the park and its community and how it has changed over the years, a legacy that Zachariah Pearson himself would be proud of.”
As part of the exhibition, there will be some artefacts such as the original ceremonial key, a copy of James Niven’s reference for the position of Pearson Park head gardener (1860) and newspaper drawings from the late 1800s.
The personal memories of spending time in the park were collected via an online oral history project during lockdown in 2020, when local people responded to the callout and sent in their own special childhood memories of the park and personal photos.
The exhibition is on display within the Open Space at the Streetlife Museum until Sunday 2 July.
