Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
Edwardian Baroque architecture of the museum
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| Established | 1910 |
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| Location | Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Type | Art museum and history museum |
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery was a cool place in Plymouth, Devon, England. It was built a long time ago, between 1907 and 1910, in a fancy style called Edwardian Baroque. The museum closed its doors in 2016.
But don't worry! This building, along with the old Central Library and St Luke's Church, was turned into something new. It's now called The Box, Plymouth. This exciting new museum, gallery, and archive opened in 2020. It holds an amazing collection of about 2 million items!
Contents
What You Could See: Amazing Collections
The Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery had many different types of collections. These included fine art, decorative art, natural history, and human history. It was like a treasure chest of knowledge!
Natural History: Exploring Our World
The natural history collection was huge! It had over 150,000 specimens. Imagine all the plants, animals, and rocks you could learn about! There was also an old library and archive focused on natural history.
Human History: Stories from the Past
The human history collection told stories from long ago. It had many ancient items found on Dartmoor. You could see important things from the Bronze Age and Iron Age found at Mount Batten. There were also items from the medieval period and later times from Plymouth itself. Plus, the museum had artifacts from ancient Egypt and other old cultures from Europe and the Middle East.
Art Collections: Beautiful Creations
The museum's art collections were truly special. They included:
- About 750 paintings
- Over 3,000 watercolours and drawings
- At least 5,000 prints
- A large collection of sculptures
The Cottonian Collection: A Special Gift
A big part of the art collection was given to the people of Plymouth in 1852. This generous gift came from a man named William Cotton. It's known as the Cottonian Collection. Much of this art was first collected by Charles Rogers. It even included works by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a famous artist who was born nearby.
Famous Artists: From Local Talent to World Renowned
The collections also featured art by groups like the 19th-century Newlyn School and the 20th-century St. Ives group. You could also see works by artists from the Camden Town Group.
Other famous artists whose work was displayed included:
- Edgar Degas
- Edward Burne-Jones
- Paul Nash
- Stanley Spencer
- John William Waterhouse
- Claude Lorrain
- Terry Frost
- J M W Turner
- John Brett
- John Everett Millais
Some artists born in the local area were also featured, such as Ambrose Bowden Johns, Benjamin Robert Haydon, James Northcote, and Samuel Prout.
How the Museum Was Supported
The Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery was owned and run by the Plymouth City Council. It also received money from Arts Council England to help with its daily operations.
Sometimes, the museum got extra money for special projects. This could be for buying new items or taking care of old ones. These grants came from groups like the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Art Fund.
