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Collection Summary
Collection Title
Archives Collection
Description
Archives are mostly associated with specific collections. They include the Hardman, Osler, Payne, Morris, and de Morgan archives in the Applied Arts Department, and the Dunlop Archive (Social History).
There is a huge archive from the former Museum of Science and Industry, including engineering drawings and documents relating to the exhibits and to technical subjects generally.
Designated
There is a huge archive from the former Museum of Science and Industry, including engineering drawings and documents relating to the exhibits and to technical subjects generally.
Designated
Format
Strength(s)
There are extensive archives across many of the museum's collections, and associated with the object collections themselves. Notable amongst them are the Hardman Archive, largely of stained glass designs, and several other archives in the Applied Arts department (e.g. Osler, Payne, Morris, de Morgan), and the Dunlop Archive (Social History).
There is a huge archive from the former Museum of Science and Industry, including engineering drawings and documents relating to the exhibits (c.16000) and to technical subjects generally (c.10000). There is a collection of labels for pen nib boxes (10000 items), and there are specific named collections such as Cattell (railways), Bernard Cuzner, Fred Lanchester, Millership, Webster and Charles Thomas.
Date range of collection
01/01/1901 -
Accumulation Dates
-
Suggested Audience
Not Specific
Associated Places
Associated Times
This collection is about
Location Details
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Chamberlain Square
Birmingham West Midlands B3 3DH United Kingdom Open Map
DOMUS
WM000063
Website
Email
bmag_enquires@birmingham.gov.uk
Telephone
0121 303 2834
Fax
0121 303 1394
Visiting Information
Free Admission (Entrance fee for some exhibitions), lift available. Monday-Thursday 10.00am - 5.00pm Friday 10.30am - 5.00pm Sat 10.00am - 5.00pm Sunday 12.30pm - 5.00pm
Building Information
The original building by Yeoville Thomason is purpose built and dates from 1885. New galleries, linked by bridge to the original structure, were added over the years following the First World War. The Gas Hall exhibition gallery, converted from the old Municipal Gas Company's payments hall in the same building, was added in 1993. The Water Hall gallery for modern art, former Council offices, was added in 2001.
Collections Overview
Birmingham is the largest non-national museum service in England and Wales, and the scale and significance of its collections reflect this fact. They cover most aspects of human and natural history, and most of the collections have been Designated.
The collections recorded here include those from the former Museum of Science and Industry. This museum is now closed. Some of the principal exhibits are now shown at the Thinktank museum and science centre which opened in 2002, but all the collections are still owned by Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.
Display Overview
The collections are displayed in extensive purpose-built surroundings, usually by subject. Over the last twenty years there has been a near-continuous programme of display renewal and replacement, though some still await attention.
Some Science and Industry collections are shown at Thinktank.
Star Objects
The Pre-Raphaelite collection, including ‘The Last of England’ by Ford Madox Brown. Canaletto's views of Warwick Castle. ‘The Madonna and Child enthroned with Saints’, painted in the new oil technique by Bellini in Venice in 1505.
An elaborately bandaged Egyptian mummy from the third century. The 2.3-metre Sultanganj Buddha, which has been on display in Birmingham Museum since 1867.
The Wonderwall - a selection of the museum’s most popular objects including a 1940s bomb and a 1970s Space Hopper.
The Pinto Collection of over 7000 wooden objects.
Ceramics by Wedgwood, the Worcester porcelain factory, William De Morgan, the Martin Brothers and the Ruskin Pottery.
For details of other collections held at the same location: See the location record
Additional Collection Information
Related Publications
Management Information (Type)
Collection Owner(s)
Collection Creator(s)
Collection Collector(s)
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Associated Collection(s)