Iconic car parks up in museum
IT was a case of "back to the future" as the much-loved Belfast-built Chambers Car returned to the Ulster Museum yesterday, joining other welcome returns such as the mummy and the triceratops dinosaur.
The 1908 horseless carriage predated the more famous Dunmurry-built De Lorean motor by almost 80 years and is a favourite with generations of museum-goers over the past 50 years.
The vehicle has an important place in Northern Ireland's industrial heritage.
Established by three Belfast brothers, the Chambers company operated in Cuba Street between 1904 and 1929 and built some 500 exquisitely hand-crafted automobiles.
This example is seen as an icon of the museum and yesterday it was hoisted into place in the renovated building's new Window on our World tower in the remodelled 23-metre high entrance atrium.
The stunning glass and steel tower structure scales four levels and displays objects from across the museum's diverse collections.
The larger exhibits in Window on our World will soon include the Minke whale skeleton and the Edmontosaurus dinosaur, while smaller objects will include a Viking brooch, gold coins from the Armada treasures, as well as exotic butterflies and bugs from the nature collection.
Dr Jim McGreevy, director of collections and interpretation of National Museums Northern Ireland, said: "The Window on our World display tower is a wonderful way to welcome our visitors to the Ulster Museum.
"Not only is it visually stunning, it also provides our visitors with a sense of the scale and diversity of the Ulster Museum's collections and, we hope, will encourage our visitors to delve deeper into the museum experience.
"The Chambers Car has been one of the public's favourite objects and we are delighted that it will be displayed prominently in the refurbished Ulster Museum.
"Throughout the years, visitors to the museum have shared their memories of the Chambers Car so it holds an important place in the hearts of individuals, as well as reflecting a significant period of Belfast's industrial history," Dr McGreevy said.
There was obvious pride and excitement at the lifting of the car into place yesterday, with workers and museum staff vying with the media to take photographs.
The museum, which has undergone a major refurbishment, is due to reopen in October.
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
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