The People's Galleries

"This innovative history of British art museums begins in the early 19th century. The National Gallery and the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) in London may have been at the center of activity, but museums in cities such as Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham were immensely popular and attracted enthusiastic audiences. The People's Galleries traces the rise of art museums in Britain through World War I, focusing on the phenomenon of municipal galleries. This richly illustrated book argues that these regional museums represented a new type of institution: an art gallery for a working-class audience, appropriate for the rapidly expanding cities and shaped by liberal ideals. As their broad appeal weakened with the new century, they adapted and became more conventional. Using a wide range of sources, the book studies the patrons and the publics, the collecting policies, the temporary exhibitions, and the architecture of these institutions, as well as the complex range of reasons for their foundation"--

About the author

Giles Waterfield is director of Royal Collection Studies, associate lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and an independent curator.

Product details

• Authors: Giles Waterfield, Waterfield Giles
• Publisher: Yale University Press Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 07.08.2015
• EAN: 9780300209846
• ISBN: 978-0-300-20984-6
• No. of pages: 372
• Dimensions: 233 mm x 287 mm x 30 mm
• Series: The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art; Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art; Studies in British Art; The Association of Human Rights Institutes series
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, European History, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, ART / Museum Studies, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Georgian Era (1714-1837), HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Victorian Era (1837-1901), c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, British & Irish history, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Social and cultural history, C 1900 - C 1914, Museology & heritage studies, Museology and heritage studies, c 1900 to c 1909