Thieves have broken into Macclesfield’s Silk Museum and taken donations as well as items from the museum’s collection.
A spokesperson said: “We are devastated to report the Silk Museum was broken into this morning around 5am.”
They added: “On top of the thieves creating a huge amount of damage to the museum building, they have smashed our donations box and taken public donations as well as stealing two medals awarded to Charles Tunnicliffe”
The items stolen include a gold medal awarded to Charles Tunnicliffe for his services to bird protection by the RSPB in 1975.
The other item stolen was an OBE medal, which was also awarded to Charles Tunnicliffe, for service to the arts.
The spokesperson said: “On the centenary year of Charles Tunnicliffe we find this a callous act and is a huge blow to the museum in what is already a difficult year.”
Charles Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife.
He was born in 1901, in Langley near Macclesfield, the fourth surviving child of tenant farmer William Tunnicliffe and Margaret.
He spent his early years living on a farm in Sutton, where he regularly encountered wildlife.
As a boy he attended St James’ C.E. Primary School in Sutton, and in 1916 he began to study at the Macclesfield School of Art.
The museum has asked local people to share images of the medals, in the hope that they will be returned.
They’ve also called upon social media followers to donate to the museum, to help replace the lost donation money and pay for repairs caused during the break-in.
Their post on social media said: “We’re trying so hard to make the Silk Museum a great home for Macclesfield’s past and a great space for Macclesfield’s present and future. Please help us.”
You can donate here: www.macclesfieldmuseums.co.uk/donate
