A new display about the Island’s finance industry and sources of prosperity over time will be unveiled at Jersey Museum & Art Gallery this week.
‘A Prosperous Island’, kindly sponsored by Jersey Finance, is part of the long-running ‘Story of Jersey’ exhibition on the Museum’s first floor. It replaces a display about the Island’s economy that primarily focused on currency developments.
The new display will be officially opened on Thursday (23rd) by Joe Moynihan, CEO of Jersey Finance and Claire Follain, Vice-Chairperson of the Jersey Heritage Board of Trustees. It comprises a bank of five large screens across which animated content unfolds about the past, present and future of the Island’s industries, currency and population.
A final, sixth screen is an interactive panel, where visitors to the exhibition can share their opinions about the financial services industry and its relationship to the Island, and consider the question of how to secure the Island’s future prosperity.
Chris Addy, Jersey Heritage’s Sites Curator, said: “Over time, the people of Jersey have proven themselves to be shrewd, hard-working, adaptable and forward-thinking. This, along with a degree of good fortune, has created extended periods of economic buoyance during the Island’s history. The new display tells the story of this prosperity, right up to the present day, focusing on the key points in time that have had an impact on shaping the Island we know today.”
‘A Prosperous Island’ looks back as far as Jersey’s earliest currency, before moving forward through the history of the cider, potato and dairy industries, as well as smuggling, tourism, the effect that the German Occupation had on the economy, and the growth of the finance industry in more recent times.
Joe Moynihan, CEO of Jersey Finance, said: “As the representative body of our finance industry, Jersey Finance is delighted to support Jersey Heritage and the ‘A Prosperous Island’ exhibition. We worked closely with their talented team to update the display and really bring the story of finance to life.
“The result provides a fascinating insight into the evolution of the finance industry, from the earliest known minted coins, right up to our international financial centre of modern times. We hope the exhibition will give visitors a sense of the legacy of our industry, its rich past and its exciting future. We are proud to work with our community partners and be part of their passion in showcasing our Island.”
