Secrets of Tamworth's Egyptian treasures to be revealed at library | Tamworth Herald

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Secrets of Tamworth's Egyptian treasures to be revealed at library

By Tamworth Herald  |  Posted: September 03, 2015

By Sam Jones @HeraldSJones

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  The exhibition on at Tamworth Library.

PHOTOS of Egyptian treasures originally kept in Tamworth are on display in a special exhibition.

Tamworth Library is hosting the exhibition of antiquities brought to the town by famous Egyptologist William MacGregor, a man who played a huge part in the town's growth.

Mark Lorenzo, a member of Museufy – the team behind the exhibition – said: "Last year, we received a Tamworth Borough Council Arts grant to set up an exhibit to celebrate William MacGregor's Egyptian antiquities collection, one of the most important collections in the world and originally in Tamworth. The exhibit was created by designer Magdalena Molina and is in Tamworth library on the ground floor.

"It was created with the help of Tamworth Library History Group, and expert Beverley Rogers, of Swansea University. We have kindly been given permission by museums such as the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford to use photos in the exhibit of Egyptian antiquities that were once in Tamworth in the exhibit.

"The exhibit also explores links in general between Egypt and Tamworth, there's more than you'd think. This is something that we would like to expand on in our blog www.museufy.org/blog and would love to hear stories from Herald readers, it could be anything from Egypt holidays to WWII memories in Egypt."

William MacGregor is renowned for his services to the town, having built the Tamworth Hospital (now Sir Robert Peel) as well as serving as the Vicar of Tamworth and chairman for the Herald in the early 1900s.

One of the most famous stories from MacGregor's time in Tamworth is that a number of Egyptian mummies, brought back from his travels, still lie under the structures of Costa Coffee, in George Street.

Mark added: "We are also planning on placing small displays around the town in places related to Egypt and William MacGregor, to create an 'Egypt trail', alongside the exhibit in the library. This will be happening in the next few weeks, so again any stories from readers on Egypt and Tamworth would be great."

The exhibition will run until October. To find out more visit Tamworth Library or email info@museufy.org