The Maldon Museum in the Park opened its summer exhibition on Saturday.

Maldon ‘Now and Then’ is a new art and photography exhibition curated by Jane Senior, Susan Mason and David Lambert.

Guests to the exhibition's opening from both the district and town councils included the town mayor and mayoress, David and Sharon Ogg, and the deputy mayor, Andrew Lay. 

Members of the Maldon Art Club attended, as well as the artists and photographers who have their work on display and members of the Maldon Museum in the Park.

The guests all enjoyed an evening of art, fine wine, and conversation, all in a controlled and measured manner as per the Museum’s own Covid regulations.

Art pieces on show from the museum archive includes works by Caroline Spong, June Prime and Charles G. Tait, among others.

These works sit with newer works of art on loan by contemporary artists from Maldon Art Club including Jane Senior and JanEve.

Each archival ‘Then’ piece is accompanied by an artistic black and white ‘Now’ photograph taken by Susan Mason.

Also on display are artisitc photographs taken by photographers of scenes around Maldon and Heybridge including on the High Street and Market Hill, the Hythe and the Promenade.

The photographs, which are on loan for the duration of the exhibition, are the works of photographers Paula Wiseman, John Guiver, Adrian Day, Elizbeth Pollington, James Crisp and Chris Brown.

The final component of the new exhibition comes in the form of a large display of vintage postcards of Maldon and the surrounding area on loan from David Lambert’s vast personal collection of vintage postcards.

The postcards are from the Edwardian and Interwar eras and were originally published by companies such as Gowers, Pooles and Frith.

The museum pay thanks to the three curators, Jane, Susan and David for all of their efforts in organising and preparing the exhibition.

They did so in conjunction with co-chairwoman Brigid van Bruggen and accessions and archives officer Steven Gridley from the museum's committee, Colin Rollinson, Ashlie Ellis of AE creative design and wine net.

Entry to the museum will be free to everyone for the summer holidays which allows everyone, especially families, to immerse themselves in Maldon's history and heritage.

It is also an opportunity to enjoy art and photography up close which may inspire a new generation of artists and photographers as well as those who cherish history and heritage.

Opening times are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as Bank Holiday Monday from 1pm to 4pm.

Pre-booking is no longer mandatory but the museum still ask larger groups to do so, so it can maintain a healthy and safe environment for visitors and volunteers.