National Museum of Scotland Releases Full Schedule of Events and Exhibitions for October 2015

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Photography: A Victorian Sensation

19 Jun - 22 Nov 2015

Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3

Cost: Adult £10/£8; Child £6.50; Under 12s free; Museums Scotland Members free; National Art Pass holders 50% discount

Meet the pioneers of photography and discover how the Victorian craze for the photograph transformed the way we capture images today and mirrors our own modern-day fascination for recording the world around us. Follow the cross-channel competition between photographic trailblazers Louis Daguerre and William Henry Fox Talbot, enter the world of the 1851 Great Exhibition and see some of the world's first stereophotographs. Then get swept up in the collecting craze of the carte-de-visite and discover the fascinating stories of the people behind the pictures, including Hill and Adamson's beautiful images of Victorian Edinburgh.

Kindly supported by The Morton Charitable Trust.

The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today

18 Sep - 4 Jan 2016

Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free

This ground-breaking exhibition celebrates the exceptional creativity and skill which make Britain a world leader in modern silver. The Silversmith's Art features 150 masterpieces made by 66 acclaimed silversmiths between 2000 and 2015. At the heart of the exhibition is The Goldsmiths' Company's role as patron of contemporary studio silver. This guild, situated in the City of London, has supported Britain's gold and silversmithing trades for over 700 years.

Child's Play: Toys and Technology

25 Sep 2015 - 10 Jan 2016

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

How have children's playthings changed over the last 150 years? From Meccano to a Minions scooter, this exhibition explores the development of toys and how they have grown in response to the changing world.

National War Museum

Edinburgh Castle, EH1 2NG

Open 09:45-17:45 daily

Helmand Return

27 Feb 2015 - 27 Mar 2016

Free with admission to Edinburgh Castle

Five years after his poignant exhibition Helmand: Faces of Conflict, renowned photographer Robert Wilson revisited Afghanistan as an official war artist to record the British troops' final tour of duty. The photographs allow a rare insight into the process of withdrawing from a war zone; capturing the essence of the human and logistical challenges faced during the transfer of responsibility and withdrawal.

Helmand Return is created by Robert Wilson, curated by Catherine Collins and Rhiannon Adam, and loaned by Gallery One and a Half.

Events/Activities

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Open 10:00-17:00 daily

For Everyone

Silversmithing Demonstrations

24 Oct- 14 Nov

Every Saturday 10:00-16:00

The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today, Special Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free, drop in.

The Silversmith's Art: Made in Britain Today celebrates the exceptional creativity and skill which make Britain a world leader in contemporary silver. During the exhibition, four nationally acclaimed silversmiths will be demonstrating their skilful techniques at a workbench within the gallery.

For Adults

Open Study Short Courses: Victorian Photography

14, 21 Aug & 24 Oct

10:30-16:30 (doors open 10:15)

Seminar Room, Learning Centre, Level 4

Cost: £38/£27. Visit www.ed.ac.uk/short-courses or call 0131 650 4400 to book.

From its invention in 1839, photography had a huge impact on Victorian society. This course will explore the art, science, products and popularity associated with photography in the Victorian era. The course runs in conjunction with the major exhibition at National Museum of Scotland, and includes an exhibition entry.

Victorian Photography: A Scottish Perspective

3 Oct

10:30-16:30 (doors open at 10:15)

Cost: £30/£25, Booking required. Adults 14+

Join our panel of speakers as they discuss the pioneers of early Scottish photography and their influence in Scotland and beyond.

Time Travelling Operating Theatre

10 Oct

10:30-12:15, 13:00-14:45, & 15:00-16:45

Free, booking required

Take part in this incredible touring experience and see what surgery was like and how it has changed from the Victorian era, through the 1980s to the present day.

Stereography: A talk in 3D

21 Oct

18:30-20:00 (doors open 18:15)

Cost: £6/£5

Photohistorian Denis Pellerin shares his passion for the ingenious art of stereography. This early form of three-dimensional photography was a 19th century craze with tens of thousands of inexpensive stereographs circulating worldwide. 3D glasses provided!

Photography Workshop: Small, Perfectly Formed

21 - 22 Oct

10:30-16:30 (21 Oct) and 13:30-16:30 (22 Oct)

Cost: £20/£18 (includes both sessions), booking required

Join photographic artist, Robin Gillanders to talk about his work and techniques, visit our Photography: A Victorian Sensation exhibition and create your own small studio portraits in two practical, hands on sessions using roll film. At Stills Gallery, print your portraits using traditional darkrooms. Suitable for absolute beginners, no experience required and all equipment provided.

Museum Late: Victorian Sensation

13 Nov 2015

19:00-22:30

Cost: Museum Late plus exhibition entry: £20, £18

Late only: £12, £10 Members and Conc.

Booking required, adults 18+

Don your top hats and bonnets, and join us in your finest black and white attire (dress code optional but encouraged!) for a splendid evening of fascination and frivolity. Do not miss the opportunity to partake in some of our most amusing activities, including dressing up in Victorian finery at our photobooth or Selfie Studio. Curated by our media partner The List and hosted by Lates favorite Vic Galloway, the evening's musical guests include headliners Honeyblood and elegant electro-pop due Bdy-Prts.

Spotlight On: Frank Hornby and Mechanical Toys

14 Nov

14:00-15:30 (doors open at 13:45)

Free, but spaces limited. Adults 14+.

Deborah Jaffé introduces the amazing work of Frank Hornby, inventor of Meccano, The Hornby Railway and Dinky Cars. Deborah explores the origins of his designs, their manufacture and how they successfully enabled children to learn mechanics.

Museum Socials

16 Oct 2015 - 18 Mar 2016

Every Friday 10:30-12:00

Free, call 0300 123 6789 to book your place. Meet at the Tower Entrance, 10:15 for 10:30

This new series of relaxed and informal sessions offers anyone living with Dementia, along with their relatives, friends and supporters, an opportunity to explore a different part of the museum each month with our learning staff. Sessions are free and include a cup of tea.

For families

Magic Carpet

2 Sep- 7 Oct

Every Wednesday 10:30-10:55, 11:30-11:55

Free, limited places. First come, first served basis.

Take a trip on the Magic Carpet to explore the fantastic things in the National Museum of Scotland through 25 minutes of stories, songs and activities.

Magic Carpet Minis

3 Sep - 8 Oct

Every Thursday 10:30-10:50, 11:30-11:50

Free

Magic Carpet Mini sessions especially for really young children and their carers. Come along and explore the fantastic things in the National Museum of Scotland through songs, stories, rhymes and objects in the unique museum setting.

Feely Friday

4 Sep - 9 Oct

13:30-16:30, free (drop in)

Join us each Friday afternoon during term time to explore real and replica objects from our fascinating handling collections.

Macastory's Time Tunnel

11 Oct

12:00-16:00, free (drop-in)

Hawthornden Court, level 1

The year is 2215. Ron and Ferg from the Museum's department of Timetravelology have travelled back through time to allow you, people of the present, to explore the wonders of time travel! Using the Museum's own 'Time Tunnel', they will give you the chance to visit the past or future, dressed up to fit right in. Prepare for a 'blast from the past' or a 'future shock'!

Time Hop Challenge Trail

10 - 18 Oct

11:00 - 16:00, free (drop-in)

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Customise your very own time travel medallion. Follow our trail round the Scotland galleries to collect all the time travel markers to power it up!

Superhero Science Show

12 - 17 Oct

12:00, 14:00, 15:00 (30 mins), free, please arrive 5 minutes before start time.

Auditorium, level 1

Witness superpowers put to the test! Watch live experiments and exciting demonstrations in our new interactive science show suitable for ages 7+ and their families. Part of Explore Your Universe.

The Studio

12 - 18 Oct

11:00-13:00, 14:00-16:00, free (drop-in)

Hawthornden Court, Level 1

Drop-in to our Victorian photographer's studio to find out what was involved in posing for a portrait. Try on costumes and take your own family souvenir pictures. #victoriansensation

Science Saturday

10 Oct 2015 - 9 Jan 2016

12:00-16:00, free

Join us for a monthly celebration of all things scientific in our new Science Saturday. From time travel to Dinovember and the 12 Deaths of Christmas, there's something for all ages.

Daily tours

Join one of our free daily tours and spend an hour exploring some of the highlights of the National Museum of Scotland.

October Themed Tours

Daily at 15:00 (1 hr)

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

Our free guided themed tours at National Museum of Scotland explore everything from Scotland's history to the supernatural.

Discover the National Museum

Daily at 11:00 (1 hr)

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

From stunning Victorian architecture to the Lewis Chessmen, this tour will give you a flavour of all the National Museum of Scotland has to offer.

Scottish Galleries Highlights Tour

Daily at 13:00 (1 hr)

Free

Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Follow the story of Scotland through fascinating objects on this highlights tour.

Looking for a more in-depth experience? We offer a wide range of themed tours. Ask at the information desk or check our website for forthcoming tour titles www.nms.ac.uk/tours

National Museum of Flight

East Fortune, EH39 5LF

Wartime Families

10 Oct - 18 Oct

12:00-16:00

Cost: Included in museum admission

Join us this October half term to make your own family history scrapbook at National Museum of Flight.

Air and Scare Halloween

31 Oct - 1 Nov

10:00-17:00

Cost: Included in museum admission

Air and Scare is back at National Museum of Flight for Halloween this year and we have a selection of spooky goings-on around the museum. Will you be brave enough?

Astronomy Day

14 Nov

10:00-16:00

Cost: Included in museum admission

Space-themed talks and activities.

National Museum of Rural Life

Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR

Go Wild in Autumn

10 Oct - 18 Oct

Cost: Included in museum admission

Holiday fun for active adventurers, including ranger walks, crafts and photography.

Halloween party

31 Oct

17:00-19:00, free

Join in the spooky fun on this, the scariest night of the year! Take part in apple dooking, scary trails and lots of spirited activities.