Museums

Museums with good collections from the British Arts and Crafts Movement

Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture MoDA

Based at Middlesex University in London, this museum holds the Silver Studio collection, collections of wallpapers and architectural reference material. The museum presents talks and tours on the theme of interior design Exhibitions in 2001 included Decoration on the Home 1900 to 1960 and The Silver Studio Then and Now . A Design Practice at work. There are also study days on specific themes around design and research facilities.

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Perhaps the largest collection of furniture and artefacts from the Arts and Crafts movement is that held by the V & A in London. As well as the William Morris room and the Frank Lloyd Wright room, there is the new British Gallery which holds excellent examples of furniture by major designers including Ashbee, Godwin, Mackintosh, Walton, and Liberty & Co. There are also fabrics and many other items of decorative art.

Cannon Hall, Barnsley

Cannon Hall museum in Barnsley has a small but an excellent collection of furniture metalwork and ceramics. Many of the items were purchased from Liberty and Co by the Curator Brian Murray between 1977 to 1987, who was able to part fund the collection with grants from the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Arts and Crafts collection is part of a much larger collection which included militaria, paintings and furniture from other periods.

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

The Whitworth Art Gallery and Museum in Manchester was originally intended to be a museum of industrial art and design, partly with the aim of inspiring and improving textile design and production in Manchester. For this reason, Sir Charles Robinson's collection of textiles was purchased for the gallery in 1891. However, as wealthy local collectors began to present gifts of British watercolours and European prints, the emphasis of the collections gradually shifted towards fine art, rather than industrial design and crafts.

The Arts and Crafts Collections at Cheltenham.

Important items of furniture and objects from the British Arts and Crafts Movement are included within the collections held at the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.

Furniture items have a special emphasis on pieces made by members of the Cotswold School at Chipping Camden.

Outstanding and ever growing collection of arts and crafts furniture including major pieces by Lethaby, Ballie Scott, Earnest Gimson , Sidney Barnsley and Edward Barnsley. Catalogues of items with Essays are available.