Touchstones Rochdale facts for kids
Touchstones Rochdale is a cool place in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It's like a super center that has an art gallery, a museum, a place to study local history, a visitor information spot, and even a café! It's all part of the Central Library, Museum and Art Gallery building. This special building is also a Grade II listed building, which means it's important and protected.
The first part of this stone building opened as a library way back in 1884. Then, a museum and art gallery were added in 1903. The building got even bigger with an extension in 1913. In 2003, it became the art and heritage center we know today. Touchstones is home to many collections about local history. It also has exciting new exhibitions that change often.
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A Look Back: The History of Touchstones
Touchstones Rochdale has a long and interesting history. It started as a library in 1884. This was after a fire at Rochdale Town Hall destroyed the old "Clock Tower Library" in 1883.
Later, in 1903, an art gallery and museum were built. These new parts were connected to the library. The building grew even more with an extension added in 1913. Finally, in 2003, the whole building was changed into the art and heritage center it is now.
Exploring the Collections at Touchstones
The museum at Touchstones has many different collections for you to explore. These collections cover a wide range of topics. You can learn about social history, which tells us about how people lived in the past. There are also collections of old costumes and textiles.
You can also discover ancient history with archaeology exhibits. There's even a collection about Egyptology! If you like rocks and nature, you'll find geology and natural history displays. The museum also has beautiful decorative arts.
Special Focus: The American Civil War
One special part of the collection focuses on the American Civil War. It shows how this war affected the cotton industry in Lancashire during the 1860s. This time was known as the Lancashire Cotton Famine. It was a tough time when cotton was hard to get.
The collections at Touchstones are officially recognized by Arts Council England. This means they are very important and well-cared for. Besides the permanent collections, Touchstones also hosts new and exciting exhibitions that change regularly.
Artworks to Discover
The art collection includes a painting by Katherine Ashton Simpson. She was an artist who lived from 1858 to 1951. Her painting shows her sister, Florence Eva Simpson. Florence was also a talented person. She was a writer, a composer, and an artist, known as Elva Lorence.
The Building's Design: Architecture of Touchstones
The Touchstones building is made from Yorkshire stone. It has a slate roof, which is a type of stone roof. The library part of the building has one floor. Its front has three gables, which are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof. These gables have decorative ball shapes called finials on top.
The center of the library has a porch with an arcade. This means it has a row of arches. It also has an oval-shaped doorway. The windows have mullions (vertical bars) and transoms (horizontal bars). They also have oval tops and decorative hood moulds above them.
The museum and art gallery sections have two floors. They have a central part with four sections, called bays. To the right, there's a three-bay gabled section. To the left, there's another gabled section set at an angle. You can see panels with carved figures on the gables.
See also
- Listed buildings in Rochdale
