Albany Museum

Albany Museum, located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province, was established in 1855 and is the second oldest museum in South Africa. It is a provincial museum funded by the Eastern Cape Department of Sport Recreation Arts and Culture.Albany Museum is an affiliated research institute of Rhodes University. The Museum today consists of a family of seven buildings which includes the Natural Sciences Museum, the History Museum, the Observatory Museum, Fort Selwyn, the Old Provost military prison, Drostdy Arch and the Old Priest's House which is leased to the National English Literary Museum.There are a number of Research Departments. All museum collections are curated by specialists in their fields.The Natural Sciences Museum houses permanent collections of terrestrial insects, freshwater invertebrates, freshwater fishes, a plant herbarium, birds, palaeontological fossils, rocks and minerals, ethnographic and archaeological material.The History Museum houses an important collection of historical artefacts as well as a genealogical archive relating to the 1820 British Settlers. The Fine Art collection is also housed in the History Museum.The Education Department provides loan resources and education programmes for teachers, students and learners through curriculum-based as well as broader interest museum lessons and outreach visits to farm schools.The Exhibitions Department is involved in the maintenance and construction of both permanent and temporary displays. The Museum also has an important scientific and historical library which houses rare books. Worldwide, with emphasis on Eastern Cape Province of South Africa; all plant groups, especially phanerogams and marine algae.