Passmore Edwards Museum

The Passmore Edwards Museum stood in Stratford, east London, as a local museum devoted to natural history, prehistoric archaeology and anthropology. It began as the Essex Field Club’s collection and library, which the Corporation of West Ham agreed to house in a new building in 1898. John Passmore Edwards provided much of the funding and the museum took his name after he laid the first stone in October 1898. The building opened in 1900 and adjoined the West Ham Technical Institute. The museum’s central hall featured a galleried dome lit from above, giving a bright space for displays. Its collections covered Essex natural history and archaeology, managed by the Essex Field Club under a formal agreement. The Corporation paid for heating, lighting and a caretaker, while the Club raised money for equipment and appointed the curator. A grant of £100 a year supported running costs, with the Club contributing £50 annually. The building later became the Student Union for the University of East London’s Stratford Campus. After the museum closed in 1994, its collections moved to Newham Heritage Service and other museums. The dome and adjoining spaces remain part of the university’s facilities.