Pontefract Museum is a local museum in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The collections cover archaeology, archives, decorative and applied art, fine art, photographs and social history.
History
The museum is located in an Art Nouveau building in the middle of the town which was originally a Carnegie library. The library was opened in 1904 and designed by George Pennington. In 1975, a new library was built and the Carnegie building was converted into a museum. It retains a tiled entrance hall and original 1904 furnishings.
Art Nouveau tiling in the entrance hall
Collections
Exhibits include information on Pontefract Castle and Pontefract Cakes (liquorice sweets). Exhibits include finds from Pontefract Castle and St. John's Priory, Pontefract, coins from the English Civil War, packaging from the Pontefract liquorice factories, coloured glass and locally printed material. Most of the collection has Pontefract connections, including the mining history of the town.
