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Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery

entrance side of the museum
Location within Blackburn town centre
Established	1874 (1874)
Location	Blackburn
Coordinates	53°45′00″N 2°29′03″W / 53.7501°N 2.4841°W / 53.7501; -2.4841
Collections	Japanese Print, Cotton Town the Manuscript, Numismatic
Owner	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Website	blackburnmuseum.org.uk
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Blackburn Museum
Designated	1 August 1995
Reference no.	1223411

The Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery is the local museum service for the borough of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. 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. It was originally opened as an art gallery and library in 1874, 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. It was completed by 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.

Collections

The most notable collections include the Japanese Print Collection which was amassed by Thomas Boys Lewis. The Manuscript and Numismatic Collections, both of which were bequeathed by Edward Hart and the Icon Collection.

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.

See also

• Listed buildings in Blackburn

References

1. "Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council". Blackburn.gov.uk. 23 May 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
2. "Blackburn Library". Cottontown. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
3. Timmins, Geoffrey (1993). Blackburn: A Pictorial History. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-85033-865-4.
4. Jacobs, Bill (4 July 2023). "Blackburn cultural landmark's £500,000 roof replacement under way". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
5. Magill, Peter (22 March 2024). "Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery's extended openings for 150th year". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
6. "Thomas Boys Lewis". Cottontown. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
7. Kirman, Andy. "Japanese Prints". CottonTown.org. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
8. Kirman, Andy. "The Hart Gallery". CottonTown.org. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
9. Kirman, Andy. "The Edward Hart Collection". CottonTown.org. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
10. "Edward Hart". CottonTown.org. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
11. Dowd, Vincent (24 January 2006). "Asian art show lights up UK". BBC. Retrieved 19 April 2008.

External links

• Official Museum website
• Local authority website
• History of Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery
• The Friends of Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery

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Related topics	Textile museum Design museum

• Textile museums in the United Kingdom
• Museums in Lancashire
• Art museums and galleries in Lancashire
• Tourist attractions in Blackburn
• Buildings and structures in Blackburn
• History of Blackburn with Darwen
• Grade II listed buildings in Lancashire