Museum of Bath at Work, Bath

The Museum of Bath at Work offers a comprehensive view of the city's commercial history, spanning 2000 years. Established in 1978 as the Bath Industrial Heritage Trust, it began with a focus on the nineteenth-century engineering and mineral water business of Jonathan Burdett Bowler, founded in 1872. This original collection emerged following the closure of the Bowler firm in 1969, whose contents were preserved by a local businessman to establish a museum. Using original business photos, the museum recreated the Bowler shop, workshops, offices, and bottling plant, saving over 10,000 bottles and numerous documents.

The museum's scope extends beyond the Bowler collection, featuring diverse reconstructions such as a cabinet maker's workshop, a Bath stone quarry face with a crane and tools, and notable acquisitions like a rare 1914 Horstmann car. In 2003, the museum launched an extensive exhibition titled 'Bath at Work: 2000 Years of Earning a Living', further illustrating Bath's developmental journey. The Hudson Gallery, opened in 2007, enriches this narrative with local history displays and a rotating selection of photographs.

An important addition to the museum is the rare Griffin six-stroke gas engine. This engine, dating back to 1885 and previously housed in the Birmingham Museum of Science and Technology, is one of only two known examples of its kind, with the other residing in the Anson Engine Museum.

The Museum of Bath at Work itself is located in the historic Camden Works building, originally constructed in 1777 as a court for the indoor game of real tennis. This setting adds an additional layer of historical significance, aligning with the museum's mission to showcase Bath's rich industrial and commercial heritage.