A Golden Moment: Accessioning the 2022 Alternative Miss World Crown Jewels

Last week was a truly golden moment for me as Project Curator at the Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture as we officially accessioned the ‘Gold’ Alternative Miss World Crown Jewels into our collection!
This milestone is part of our ongoing Legacy Project, generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and marks a wonderful step forward in preserving and celebrating Andrew’s extraordinary legacy.
As a curator, accessioning feels to me like giving each sculpture its rightful place in the museum’s story. This process of documenting, condition-checking, labelling, and officially welcoming an object into the permanent collection requires meticulous attention to detail, to which we owe much gratitude to our wonderful volunteers who are not accessioning aficionados! Yesterday, after completing these steps, we proudly placed the Crown Jewels on display in the Museum’s window case for all to see!
Our Project Coordinator Judy summed up the day perfectly:
“It is an iconic day to officially welcome the Gold crown jewels into the collection, with the help from our wonderful volunteers. A powerful moment for the preservation of pure joy.”
The Gold Crown Jewels are part of the rich history of Andrew’s legendary Alternative Miss World Competition, a subversive celebration of poise, personality, and originality. They happily join our thirteen other sets of Alternative Miss World regalia which currently reside in the museum collection, spanning over 50 years worth of competitions!
For anyone who wants to experience the joyful madness of the Gold Alternative Miss World, you can watch the full competition via https://www.youtube.com/live/iJoiF2LGRIM?si=iTNKND9wuHHtkugP
This accessioning milestone is, however, just one part of a much larger journey. As part of the Legacy Project, we’re researching, cataloguing, and celebrating the stories behind many objects in our collection.
We’d love for more people to join us on this exciting adventure. If you’re passionate about art, heritage, or Andrew’s world of creativity, why not consider volunteering with us? Whether it’s helping with collections, events, or visitor engagement, your time and enthusiasm can make a huge difference.
Get in touch with us at [email protected] we’d love to welcome you to the ALMoS family!