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The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum facts for kids
The Higgins
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| Established | 1949 (Cecil Higgins Museum), 1960 (Bedford Museum), 2005 (Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Museum) 2012 (The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford) |
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| Location | Castle Lane, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England |
| Type | Art Gallery & Museum |
The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum is a cool place in Bedford, England. It's the main art gallery and museum in the town. The local council and a special group called the Cecil Higgins Collection trustees help run it.
Contents
Discover The Higgins: Art, History, and Fun!
The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum is located in a historic area called the Castle Quarter in Bedford. This area is where Bedford Castle used to stand! You can also find the Castle Bailey gardens, shops, restaurants, and the John Bunyan Museum nearby. The museum got a big makeover and reopened its doors in June 2013.
Why is it called 'The Higgins'?
A big project costing £5.8 million helped connect and update the buildings. This brought together three older cultural spots: the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford Museum, and Bedford Gallery. People felt the new, single building needed a new name. 'The Higgins' was chosen because it connects to the Higgins family. Their home and business were once on this very spot. The family was important in the town, with Charles Higgins even being mayor in 1848.
The museum's makeover happened in two main steps. The first step finished in April 2009 when the Bedford Gallery reopened. This old building, which is a Grade II listed building (meaning it's historically important), had not been used since 1973. Reopening it for art shows and events gave everyone a peek at what the second step would bring.
The second step of the project joined the three separate buildings into one big, modern facility. Construction started in August 2011 and finished in June 2013. This huge project was possible thanks to money from Bedford Borough Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and other groups.
The new museum has lots of space for traveling art shows and special events. There are also areas for learning and activities, plus a cafe and a shop. You can see amazing collections, including works by the Victorian architect William Burges and the 20th-century designer Edward Bawden. They even have special galleries just for these artists!
The Cecil Higgins Art Collection: A Journey Through Art
The art collections at The Higgins used to be a separate place called the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery. Even now, these collections are still owned by the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery trustees. This gallery was famous for its amazing collections of watercolours, prints, ceramics, and furniture. It also has one of the largest groups of works by artist-architect William Burges and painter Edward Bawden outside of London.
The Cecil Higgins Museum first opened on July 25, 1949. It was set up in a house built in 1846. This house was once the home of Charles Higgins and his family, right next to the Higgins & Sons Brewery.
The museum was created by a kind brewer named Cecil Higgins (1856–1941). He wanted to share his collection of ceramics, glass, and other beautiful objects with everyone in Bedford. He also left money to help the museum grow and buy more art. In 1951, the museum decided to start collecting English watercolours. Experts from famous museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum helped choose the best pieces.
Between 1952 and 1964, the museum bought over 500 watercolours! This was a great time to collect because many private collections became available after the war. Thanks to the experts, The Higgins now has one of the best watercolour collections outside of London.
In 1971, the museum started focusing on decorative arts. They bought many pieces from the Handley-Read Collection. This collection includes over 200 items of Victorian art. Charles Handley-Read and his wife Lavinia started collecting Victorian art when most people didn't think it was important.
J. M. W. Turner's 1804 watercolour of the Reichenbach Falls, a stunning piece in the gallery collection.
From 1988, the museum began collecting prints, especially from the 20th century. The print collection now has over 400 pieces! It includes works by famous British artists and even international artists like Picasso. You can see everything from delicate etchings to bold linocuts. In 2004, artist Alan Davie generously donated over 70 prints and other works.
Recently, the museum has added works by Dora Carrington. She went to Bedford High School and lived in Bedford. The collection includes two major oil paintings and drawings of her family and Bedford Market.
In 2005, the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery joined with Bedford Museum. They kept their separate buildings until 2007, when they closed for renovations. The Bedford Gallery was updated first, reopening in 2009. It hosted exhibitions while the main Art Gallery was being worked on. After the big renovation, the Bedford Gallery became part of the larger museum building.
Bedford Museum: Stories of Our Town
Bedford Museum was created in the 1960s. It combined collections from Bedford Modern School and the Bedford Borough Council. Its collections tell the stories of Bedford's people and places. You can learn about social history, archaeology, nature, and cultures from around the world.
From School Museum to Public Gem
In 1884, a lawyer named Charles Prichard gave his collection of fossils and minerals to Bedford Modern School. He also gave money to create a school museum. Over time, the museum grew with interesting items from all over the world.
In the 1920s, P.G. Langdon helped organize the collections. He wanted to make it a county museum. He added archaeological finds like Roman and Saxon pottery. He also improved the nature collections. In 1929, two new galleries opened to the public for a small fee. This made it one of the best school museums in England.
F.W. Kuhlicke, a local historian, became the curator in 1933. He kept developing the collections. By the 1950s, the school needed more space. So, discussions began about the town taking over the museum. In 1962, the new town museum opened in a temporary spot.
In the 1970s, the old Higgins and Sons Castle Brewery buildings became available. These large, red-brick buildings were perfect for a new museum. They offered more space for visitors, temporary shows, and storing the growing collections. In 1974, John Turner became the first professional curator. He led the big project to turn the brewery into the new town museum, which opened in 1981. The museum joined with the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery in 2005. It closed for renovations in 2010 and reopened in June 2013 as part of the new combined museum.
The museum has about 20,000 items! These show the human, social, and natural history of the Borough of Bedford. You can see everyday items, military artifacts, farm tools, and things from local crafts and industries.
The archaeology collections include ancient flint tools from the Stone Age and items from the Medieval times. The museum also has a large collection of coins and medals. The geology collections feature ammonite shells and fossils of giant marine reptiles. You can also find local birds, mammals, insects, and plants in the natural history collections.
The Museum's Historic Home
The land and buildings where The Higgins stands have a long and interesting history. The famous Siege of Bedford Castle even happened here!
The current buildings started with a Hexagonal Militia Depot built in 1804. This building was used for many things, like a school and kitchens for the Higgins family home. Since 1949, it has been a gallery and an education space. After its renovation in 2008, it now houses the William Burges collection.
In 1837, Charles Higgins bought the lease for Castle Lane. He built the brewery, which was finished in 1838.
Between 1840 and 1841, the building now known as Bedford Gallery was built. It was first a clubhouse for a political group. Later, it was used as a Sunday School and for church gatherings. In the early 1900s, it became a billiard hall. During World War Two, the BBC even used it as a rehearsal and recording studio!
After the war, it went back to being a billiard hall. In 1960, it became part of the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and was renamed Bedford Gallery. It hosted exhibitions until 1973.
After being closed for over 30 years, the Bedford Gallery got a £2.5 million renovation. It became a modern space for temporary exhibitions. It reopened in 2013 as part of the new combined Art Gallery & Museum.
Charles Higgins also built his family home, Castle Close, in 1846. The Higgins family lived there until the 1920s. Later, the town council used it for offices. In 1941, Cecil Higgins decided his art collection should be housed there, and the museum opened in 1949.
See also
- John Bunyan Museum – A museum about John Bunyan, located near The Higgins.