Cameronian Curiosities online exhibition
What kind of objects would you expect to find in a regimental collection? The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Collection contains many strange and wonderful objects that you would not associate with Scotland’s only Rifle Regiment. From exotic and fearsome weapons to religious artefacts, the head of a tiger and some toilet roll, each object tells a story of the regiment and its men.
The first Cameronian Museum opened in Hamilton Barracks in 1931. It contained objects connected with events in the Regiment’s history, from its beginnings in Covenanting times onwards. Officers and men of the Regiment presented items of regimental significance to the museum, from swords, weapons and uniforms to trophies of war gathered from the distant lands in which the Regiment served.
Collecting curiosities is not a new idea. Before museums existed, rulers, aristocrats and scientists formed collections. Objects from nature, science and art reflected the universe in miniature and were housed in dedicated rooms or large cabinets, known as Cabinets of Wonder or Cabinets of Curiosity.
