Museum of Liverpool

Last updated

Museum of Liverpool
The Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head, Liverpool (geograph 2978672).jpg
Location map United Kingdom Liverpool Central.png
Red pog.svg
Location in Liverpool
Merseyside UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Merseyside
Established2011
Location Pier Head, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates 53°24′11″N2°59′44″W / 53.4031°N 2.9956°W / 53.4031; -2.9956 Coordinates: 53°24′11″N2°59′44″W / 53.4031°N 2.9956°W / 53.4031; -2.9956
Visitors956,918 (2019) [1]
Website http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/

The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, tells the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflects the city's global significance. It opened 2011 as newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group replacing the former Museum of Liverpool Life. The museum is housed in a new purpose-built building on the Mann Island site at the Pier Head.

Contents

History

The museum, which was designed by architects 3XN and engineers Buro Happold and built by Galliford Try [2] at cost of £72 million, provides 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, housing more than 6,000 objects. [3] It has flexible spaces that regularly change to enable National Museums Liverpool to show more of their collections. It was opened to the public on 19 June 2011. [4] in January and February 2017, the museum was closed for two months for essential works . [5]

From 10 to 12 December 2021, the museum hosted the G7 summit of foreign ministers. [6]

Core themes

The centrally located spiral staircase within the museum Museum of Liverpool spiral staircase.jpg
The centrally located spiral staircase within the museum
A view of Pier Head from The People's Republic gallery Museum of Liverpool Window.JPG
A view of Pier Head from The People's Republic gallery

The museum displays are divided into four main themes: The Great Port, Global City, People's Republic, and Wondrous Place, located in four large gallery spaces. On the ground floor, displays look at the city's urban and technological evolution, both local and national, including the Industrial Revolution and the changes in the British Empire, and how these changes have impacted the city's economic development. The upper floor looks at Liverpool's particular and strong identity through examining the social history of the city, from settlement in the area from Neolithic times to the present day, migration, and the various communities and cultures which contribute to the city's diversity. [7]

The museum also features: Little Liverpool, a gallery for children under six; History Detectives, an interactive archaeology and history resource centre; a 180-seat theatre for community and audio-visual performances and meeting facilities. [7] It also has a gallery called "City Soldiers" which tells the story of the King's Regiment. [8] In February 2007, while the museum was under construction, steam locomotive Lion , star of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt , was moved by road from Manchester where it had been on loan, to Liverpool and eventually placed in the new museum. [9]

Exhibitions

Canning Half-Tide Dock Narrowboat, Canning Half-Tide Dock, Liverpool (geograph 4545425).jpg
Canning Half-Tide Dock

Exhibits from the entirety of National Museums Liverpool's collections are used for the Museum of Liverpool's displays. They tell the story of the city through items from collections of costume and decorative art, entomological and botanical collections and objects representing social and urban history, as well as oral testimonies, archaeological material and photographic archives. [7] From September to November 2012 the museum staged the Liverpool Love exhibition, in which well known personalities such as Yoko Ono, Sir Peter Blake and Noel Fielding celebrated the city of Liverpool. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoko Ono</span> Japanese artist and activist based in the United States

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate Liverpool</span> Art gallery and museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, England

Tate Liverpool is an art gallery and museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and part of Tate, along with Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London. The museum was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corporation. Tate Liverpool was created to display work from the Tate Collection which comprises the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the present day, and international modern art. The gallery also has a programme of temporary exhibitions. Until 2003, Tate Liverpool was the largest gallery of modern and contemporary art in the UK outside London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science Museum, London</span> Museum in Kensington, London

The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Science and Media Museum</span> Part of the national Science Museum Group in the UK

The National Science and Media Museum, located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum Group in the UK. The museum has seven floors of galleries with permanent exhibitions focusing on photography, television, animation, videogaming, the Internet and the scientific principles behind light and colour. It also hosts temporary exhibitions and maintains a collection of 3.5 million pieces in its research facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science and Industry Museum</span> Science museum in Manchester, England

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, England, traces the development of science, technology and industry with emphasis on the city's achievements in these fields. The museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, having merged with the National Science Museum in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of London</span> Museum in London documenting its history

The Museum of London documents the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It is located in the City of London on the London Wall, close to the Barbican Centre and is part of the Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 1970s to redevelop a bomb-damaged area of the city. The museum is the largest urban history collection in the world, with more than six million objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial War Museum North</span> Museum in Manchester, England

Imperial War Museum North is a museum in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. One of five branches of the Imperial War Museum, it explores the impact of modern conflicts on people and society. It is the first branch of the Imperial War Museum to be located in the north of England. The museum occupies a site overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal on Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, an area which during the Second World War was a key industrial centre and consequently heavily bombed during the Manchester Blitz in 1940. Just across the Trafford Wharf Road from the Museum is the bulk of the Rank Hovis Flour Mill, a survivor from a former industrial age and now rather out of keeping with the surrounding architecture. The area is now home to the Lowry cultural centre and the MediaCityUK development, which stand opposite the museum at Salford Quays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Museum</span> Natural and physical science museum in Liverpool, England

World Museum is a large museum in Liverpool, England which has extensive collections covering archaeology, ethnology and the natural and physical sciences. Special attractions include the Natural History Centre and a planetarium. Entry to the museum is free. The museum is part of National Museums Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitt Rivers Museum</span> University museum of archaeology and anthropology in Oxford, England

Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford in England. The museum is located to the east of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and can only be accessed through that building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Football Museum</span> Sports museum in Urbis, Manchester

The National Football Museum is England's national museum of football. It is based in the Urbis building in Manchester city centre, and preserves, conserves and displays important collections of football memorabilia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Whitworth</span> Art gallery in England

The Whitworth is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing about 55,000 items in its collection. The gallery is located in Whitworth Park and is part of the University of Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Museum</span> University museum of archaeology, natural history and anthropology in Manchester, England

Manchester Museum is a museum displaying works of archaeology, anthropology and natural history and is owned by the University of Manchester, in England. Sited on Oxford Road (A34) at the heart of the university's group of neo-Gothic buildings, it provides access to about 4.5 million items from every continent. It is the UK's largest university museum and serves both as a major visitor attraction and as a resource for academic research and teaching. It has around 430,000 visitors each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluecoat Chambers</span> Grade I listed building, now arts centre, in Liverpool, United Kingdom

Built in 1716–17 as a charity school, Bluecoat Chambers in School Lane is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool, England. Following the Liverpool Blue Coat School's move to another site in 1906, the building was rented from 1907 onwards by the Sandon Studios Society. Based on the presence of this art society and the subsequent formation of the Bluecoat Society of Arts in 1927, the successor organisation laid claim to being the oldest arts centre in Great Britain, now called the Bluecoat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of London Docklands</span> Museum detailing the history of the River Thames and the London Docklands, in London, England

The Museum of London Docklands, based in West India Quay, explains the history of the River Thames, the growth of Port of London and the docks historical link to the Atlantic slave trade. The museum is part of the Museum of London and is jointly funded by the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Slavery Museum</span> Museum in Liverpool, England

The International Slavery Museum is a museum located in Liverpool, England that focuses on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The museum which forms part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, consists of three main galleries which focus on the lives of people in West Africa, their eventual enslavement, and their continued fight for freedom. Additionally the museum discusses slavery in the modern day as well as topics on racism and discrimination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolton Museum</span> Public museum and art gallery in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

Bolton Museum is a public museum and art gallery in the town of Bolton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, owned by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. The museum is housed within the grade II listed Le Mans Crescent near Bolton Town Hall and shares its main entrance with the central library in a purpose-built civic centre. The building has good accessibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitstable Museum and Gallery</span> Heritage centre in Whitstable, Kent, UK

Whitstable Museum is a heritage centre in Whitstable, Kent, with Invicta, one of the world's oldest steam engines, the history of the local oyster trade and historical diving equipment.

The culture of Liverpool incorporates a wide range of activities within the city of Liverpool, England. The city is an important centre for culture not just in the northwest of England, but also the United Kingdom more broadly. Its contributions to culture internationally were recognised in 2008, when it was named the European Capital of Culture.

Harry Goodwin was a British photographer, known for his images of pop musicians and sports personalities. He was the resident photographer of the BBC Television programme Top of the Pops from its inception in 1964 until 1973.

The Liverpool 08 Collection was the Public art collection exhibited by Liverpool John Lennon Airport in conjunction with the Liverpool Culture Company for the duration of 2008, the year when Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture. Exhibits were launched before and during the year by various celebrities including Yoko Ono and Phil Redmond and much of the exhibition remains in place today. As well as the iconic sculptures, The Yellow Submarine (sculpture) and the John Lennon Statue, the different pieces of artwork situated around the public areas of the terminal included; two rare suits worn by John Lennon, photographs by Harry Goodwin and Paul Saltzman, mosaics from Debbie Ryan, graphic designs by John McFaul, a film by Nick Jordan, a performance of Brian Eno's 'Music for Airports' and artwork from 50 schoolchildren at St Ambrose Primary School in Speke

References

  1. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. "Museum of Liverpool gets iconic structure". New Steel Construction. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  3. "Museum of Liverpool facts and figures". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  4. "Museum of Liverpool opens to the public". BBC News. 19 July 2011.
  5. Jones, Catherine (14 November 2016). "Museum of Liverpool to close for 'essential work'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  6. "Liverpool G7 summit 'a pretty big deal' for city". BBC News. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "Themes and displays in the new museum". National Museums Liverpool. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  8. "City Soldiers". Museum of Liverpool. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  9. "Train leaves city - by road!". Manchester Evening News . 27 February 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
  10. "Noel Fielding, Yoko Ono and other artists show Liverpool Love" (Slideshow). BBC News . 28 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2014.