The McManus facts for kids
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| Former name | Albert Institute |
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| Established | 1867 |
| Location | Dundee, Scotland |
The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum is a beautiful old building in the Gothic Revival style. You can find it right in the middle of Dundee, Scotland. This amazing building is home to a museum and an art gallery. It holds many wonderful pieces of art, decorative items, and even a collection about nature. It's so important that it's protected as a Category A listed building, which means it's a very special historical place.
Contents
How It All Started
The idea for this building began as a way to remember Prince Albert. It was meant to be a place for learning, with rooms for talks, a museum, an art gallery, and a library for students. The British Association for the Advancement of Science helped plan this.
People in Dundee agreed to help pay for the building. Even though the city couldn't afford a huge memorial by itself, it still gave money. Many people contributed, and a wealthy family called the Baxter family gave a large donation.
Designing the Building
The famous architect George Gilbert Scott designed the building. He was an expert in restoring old churches and loved the Gothic style of architecture. He wanted to build a tall tower, like one he had designed before.
The building's foundations were laid in a wet area called Quaw Bog. This area was once where two small streams met. Because the ground was soft, large wooden beams were used to support the building. However, when construction started in 1865, the ground wasn't strong enough for the very tall tower Scott had imagined. The building first opened in 1867 and was called the Albert Institute.
Growing Over Time
Later, two more sections were added to the building by 1889. These additions created four new art galleries and four new museum galleries. The central part was designed by David MacKenzie, following Scott's original ideas. The Eastern Galleries were designed by William Alexander.
Before the museum and art gallery officially opened in 1873, items from the Watt Institute were moved into the collection. For many years, from 1873 to 1949, the building was managed as part of the public library service. Then, in 1959, the city took over its management.
After a big renovation, the building was renamed to honor Maurice McManus. He was the Lord Provost (like a mayor) of Dundee from 1962 to 1967. It was first called McManus Galleries, and after another renovation in 2010, it became known as The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum.
Building Challenges and Renovations
In 1976, some cracks were found in the building's south-east corner. A check showed that parts of the building were sinking slightly. To fix this, in 1979, strong concrete piles and beams were put in place to replace old, rotted wooden supports.
The building closed to the public on October 24, 2005, for a major renovation project. This £7.8-million project was led by Page\Park Architects. The McManus reopened its doors to the public on February 28, 2010.
What You Can See Today
Today, much of the McManus collection is located at the former Carnegie Library on Barrack Street. This collection includes amazing artworks by artists from Dundee, such as James McIntosh Patrick and Alberto Morrocco.
The museum also has three paintings by Thomas Musgrave Joy. These paintings celebrate the brave rescue by Grace Darling of passengers from the paddlesteamer Forfarshire.
Images for kids
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Sir John Lavery RA RSA RHA (1856–1941). 1915. Oil on canvas. 1915. 175.6 x 200.7 cm. Collection: The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum.
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