EVER wondered what and how museums collect? From Tuesday, November 15, until January 28, 2017, the Museum of Farnham will be exhibiting a wide range of material acquired during the last three years.

On view at the museum for the very first time, these objects reflect the diverse history of the town, from ancient past to contemporary times.

Like many museums, large amounts of the Museum of Farnham’s collection are held in storage, brought out as and when needed for temporary exhibitions or research.

New acquisitions demonstrate its collections development in action, as well as providing an insight into the residents of Farnham and what they consider important to preserve.

Recent examples have included prehistoric axes excavated in the 1920s, paintings by artist John Verney and collected by a Farnham councillor, and the contents of a resident’s house who recently passed away. Each item in their own way reflects the interests as well as the daily life of their owners.

The exhibition, ‘On View’, is an important opportunity for the museum to celebrate the people who have donated objects, and acknowledge the contribution being made by the community in Farnham and further afield to the collection.

The museum also hopes to encourage further donations of objects linked to Farnham, so that the collection continues to reflect the diverse and vibrant history of the town.

As well as learning more about the process of object acquisitions, visitors will get a sense of the range of material that is cared for by the museum and how they can access the collection further for their own enjoyment and research.

Alongside the exhibition there will be an opportunity to discover more about behind the scenes at the museum.

Visitors of all ages will be given a chance to handle objects from the collection, and volunteers and staff will on hand to answer questions.

The Museum of Farnham is free to enter and opens from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. For more information visit the website www.museumoffarnham.com.