Collections

The Museum of the Order of St John has a collection of more than 60,000 objects, ranging from historic arms and armour through to modern first aid equipment. Browse the selection below to learn a little more about our collections.

St John Youth

Poetry Cup

Thomas Evans
1775 (manufacture); 1948 (first awarded)
LDOSJ:1350

Cadets are awarded trophies for winning competitions in a wide range of activities, in everything from nursing to football.

The Poetry Cup was part of the Arts Competition. After the Second World War, Barbara Cartland  provided a trophy for an annual cadet author’s competition which was first presented on 11 August 1945. This soon became part of a wider Arts Competition which included cups being awarded for music, painting and drama, as well as this one for poetry.

The Poetry Cup was first awarded on Saturday 17 December 1948 at a ceremony in the Chapter Hall at St John’s Gate, where the Museum is based.

The hallmark on the cup shows that it was manufactured in 1775, and was much later re-purposed as the Poetry Cup.

Sponsors

The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity: