Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
{{Short description|Museum in Lancashire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
| image = Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery front.JPG
| imagesize =
| caption = entrance side of the museum
| alt =
| map_type = United Kingdom Blackburn central
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| coordinates = {{coord|53.7501|-2.4841|display=inline,title}}
| established = {{Start date|1874|df=y}}
| dissolved =
| location = Blackburn
| type =
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| key_holdings =
| collections = Japanese Print, Cotton Town the Manuscript, Numismatic
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| owner = Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
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| website = {{URL|http://blackburnmuseum.org.uk/}}
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{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Grade II Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Blackburn Museum
| designation1_type =
| designation1_criteria =
| designation1_date = 1 August 1995
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| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1223411|short=yes}}
}}
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The Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery is the local museum service for the borough of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.blackburn.gov.uk |title=Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council |publisher=Blackburn.gov.uk |date=2010-05-23 |access-date=2013-04-15}} It is a museum with collections of Christian icons, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and local history, as well as those of the former Lewis Textile Museum.
The building
The museum is in a Grade II listed building, on the corner of Museum Street and Richmond Terrace.{{cite web | url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=534 | title=Blackburn Library | work=Cottontown | publisher=Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | access-date=19 April 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023073136/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=534&language=eng | archive-date=23 October 2007 }} It was originally opened as an art gallery and library in 1874,{{cite book | title=Blackburn: A Pictorial History | last=Timmins | first=Geoffrey | year=1993 | location=Chichester | publisher=Phillimore & Co. Ltd | isbn=0-85033-865-4 }} with the library occupying the ground floor and the art gallery on the first floor. The building was enlarged in 1893. In the 1970s, the library moved to Town Hall Street, occupying the former premises of the Co-operative Central Store, providing more space for the display of the local and social history collections which formed Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. A project to repair the roof began in July 2023.{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Bill |date=4 July 2023 |title=Blackburn cultural landmark's £500,000 roof replacement under way |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/23632101.blackburn-cultural-landmarks-500-000-roof-replacement-way/ |work=Lancashire Telegraph |access-date=4 July 2023}} It was completed by March 2024.{{cite news |last=Magill |first=Peter |date=22 March 2024 |title=Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery's extended openings for 150th year |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/24202889.blackburn-museum-benefits-extended-openings-150th-year/ |work=Lancashire Telegraph |location= |access-date=22 March 2024}}
Lewis Textile Museum
The museum service was also responsible for the Lewis Textile Museum before it was closed. The contents of the Lewis Textile Museum have now been moved into the main museum building on Museum Street and the gallery which houses the collection of looms renamed Cottontown. The Lewis Textile Museum was bequeathed by Thomas Boys Lewis, a local cotton industrialist.{{cite web | url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=525&language=eng | title=Thomas Boys Lewis | work=Cottontown | publisher=Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | access-date=19 April 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015025832/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=525 | archive-date=15 October 2007 }}
Collections
The most notable collections include the Japanese Print Collection{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Kirman |url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=513&language=eng |title=Japanese Prints |publisher=CottonTown.org |access-date=2013-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207183907/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=513&language=eng |archive-date=2012-02-07 }} which was amassed by Thomas Boys Lewis. The Manuscript{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Kirman |url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=522&language=eng |title=The Hart Gallery |publisher=CottonTown.org |access-date=2013-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207183615/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=522&language=eng |archive-date=2012-02-07 }} and Numismatic{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Kirman |url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=526&language=eng |title=The Edward Hart Collection |publisher=CottonTown.org |access-date=2013-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207183702/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=526&language=eng |archive-date=2012-02-07 }} Collections, both of which were bequeathed by Edward Hart {{cite web|url=http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=4394&language=eng|title=Edward Hart|publisher=CottonTown.org|access-date=2013-04-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207183818/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=4394&language=eng|archive-date=2012-02-07}} and the Icon Collection.
The museum has an Egyptology collection based on items collected by John Garstang.{{cite news |last=Fenton |first=Amy |date=9 March 2025 |title=The rich history of one of the UK's first free museums outside of London |url=https://www.lancs.live/whats-on/arts-culture-news/rich-history-one-uks-first-31129132 |work=LancsLive |publisher=Reach PLC |access-date=12 March 2025}} It also holds the Victoria Cross of Marcus Ervine-Andrews, the last Irish man awarded the VC, who was educated at Stonyhurst College.
Exhibitions
In 2006, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery took part in the touring exhibition, C21, which was part of the Fukuoka Asian Art Trinennale. Reviews of the exhibition were reported by agencies such as the BBC.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4639154.stm | title=Asian art show lights up UK | last=Dowd | first=Vincent | publisher=BBC | date=24 January 2006 | access-date=19 April 2008 }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.blackburnmuseum.org.uk/ Official Museum website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009235422/http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=nav.256 Local authority website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071015093545/http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?LANGUAGE=eng&pageID=512 History of Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071022090947/http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.7138 The Friends of Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery]
{{textile museums}}
{{Blackburn with Darwen buildings}}
{{Blackburn with Darwen culture}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Textile museums in the United Kingdom
Category:Museums in Lancashire