Visit to Manchester , 9th August 2018
The People's Museum, Spinningfields , Manchester and
The Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington
On Thursday 9th August, twenty-eight of our members set off by coach from Kelsall on our long-awaited trip to Manchester and Accrington.
Our first stop was the People's History Museum, in the Spinningfields area of Manchester, a museum that very few of us had heard of before. The People's History Museum is dedicated to the ideal of democracy and houses the largest collection of political, social and union banners in the country. These are not all on display; the majority are stored in the storerooms, and a great deal of specialised work is done to conserve them , in an specially constructed workroom.
The one banner that we wished to see is shown in the slideshow above- the first banner used in what was to become the Suffragette Movement. This banner was purchased in 2106, for what must have been quite a large sum, but we were not told how much !
In addition to the banners , there was an amazing amount to see . It would take several days to do the museum justice, and many of us decided that we would definitely return at a later date.
We then travelled to Accrington, where we spent the next few hours at the Haworth Art Gallery. The gallery was originally known as "Hollins Hill', a private house designed and built by Walter Brierly for brother and sister , William and Anne Haworth , in 1909. Both brother and sister had died by 1920, and the house, together with a collection of paintings and antiquities , plus a sum of money for the building's upkeep , was bequeathed to the people of Accrington.
The reason that we were visiting the gallery was to see the world famous collection of Tiffany Glass . A local man, Joseph Briggs, gave the collection to the people of Accrington in 1933. Joseph Briggs had gone to America in 1891, at the age of 17, and , from 1893, when he began to work for LC Tiffany , the leading maker of 'Art Nouveau ' style glass, he worked his way up to become managing director. When the factory closed in 1933, Joseph sent a shipment of over 140 pieces to Accrington, when they were given to a local museum. They were transferred to the Haworth art Gallery during World War Two.
To view this collection was very special indeed, together with the other exhibits in the house, outbuildings and gardens. We returned to Kelsall having had a thoroughly enjoyable day, which had been organised by Margaret and Marian N. Thank you , Margaret and Marian!
(APT)
(photos Margaret and Jill)
Our first stop was the People's History Museum, in the Spinningfields area of Manchester, a museum that very few of us had heard of before. The People's History Museum is dedicated to the ideal of democracy and houses the largest collection of political, social and union banners in the country. These are not all on display; the majority are stored in the storerooms, and a great deal of specialised work is done to conserve them , in an specially constructed workroom.
The one banner that we wished to see is shown in the slideshow above- the first banner used in what was to become the Suffragette Movement. This banner was purchased in 2106, for what must have been quite a large sum, but we were not told how much !
In addition to the banners , there was an amazing amount to see . It would take several days to do the museum justice, and many of us decided that we would definitely return at a later date.
We then travelled to Accrington, where we spent the next few hours at the Haworth Art Gallery. The gallery was originally known as "Hollins Hill', a private house designed and built by Walter Brierly for brother and sister , William and Anne Haworth , in 1909. Both brother and sister had died by 1920, and the house, together with a collection of paintings and antiquities , plus a sum of money for the building's upkeep , was bequeathed to the people of Accrington.
The reason that we were visiting the gallery was to see the world famous collection of Tiffany Glass . A local man, Joseph Briggs, gave the collection to the people of Accrington in 1933. Joseph Briggs had gone to America in 1891, at the age of 17, and , from 1893, when he began to work for LC Tiffany , the leading maker of 'Art Nouveau ' style glass, he worked his way up to become managing director. When the factory closed in 1933, Joseph sent a shipment of over 140 pieces to Accrington, when they were given to a local museum. They were transferred to the Haworth art Gallery during World War Two.
To view this collection was very special indeed, together with the other exhibits in the house, outbuildings and gardens. We returned to Kelsall having had a thoroughly enjoyable day, which had been organised by Margaret and Marian N. Thank you , Margaret and Marian!
(APT)
(photos Margaret and Jill)
