The Withworth Art Gallery
Throughout its history, The Whitworth Art Gallery has aimed to be a great gallery in a great city. It was founded in 1889, as The Whitworth Institute and Park, during the heroic period of Victorian philanthropy, and was originally a voluntary cultural, educational and technical institution marking the memory of one of the North West's great industrialists, Sir Joseph Whitworth.
By the time the first building was completed in 1908, with its strong influence from the Arts and Crafts movement, The Whitworth had become an important forum for the arts, humanities and technology, and a centre of excellence for research and learning, having assembled and consolidated two of the world's great collections: British watercolours and drawings, and world textiles.
COLLECTIONS:
Fine Art
Pre-1880 fine art including one of the country's finest collections of British Watercolours. Although the Whitworth is primarily known for its extensive collection of British drawings and watercolours from the 18th century to the present day, the addition of a number of significant historical oil paintings add to the depth and scope of the collection.
Prints
A prominent collection of around 15,000 objects, predominantly British and Continental European prints, with smaller groups of Japanese and American works.
Modern Art
From 1880 to the present day, the modern collection. The Modern Collection consists mainly of works on paper, with the dominant imagery being that of place - landscapes, cities and other urban environments.
Textiles
Ranging from the 3rd century AD to the present day, the gallery holds a comprehensive collection of flat textiles from around the world. The Whitworth's collection of historic and modern textiles is the largest and most comprehensive collection of flat textiles outside London. The importance and range of the collection, both geographical and chronological, as well as the facilities for research, make it second only in importance to that at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Objects in the collection, which number between 15,000 and 20,000, range in date from the 3rd century AD to the present day.
Wallpaper
An internationally significant collection of wallpaper, ranging from 17th century simple patterns to new additions from the present day.
Sculpture
The gallery sculpture can be seen in both the mezzanine court exhibition room and found in the gallery grounds.
Thomas Wardle Sample Books
Thomas Wardle pattern book conservation and digitisation project.
The Walter Crane Archive
Search the internationally significant Walter Crane
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Opening times:
The Whitworth's regular opening hours are:
Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12 - 4pm
Admission is free, and we are open on Bank Holiday Mondays.
The gallery is closed on Good Friday, 2 April 2010, but open as normal on Easter Monday, 5 April.
CAFE OPENING TIMES
Monday - Saturday
Breakfast 10am - 11.30am
Lunch 11.30am - 3.30pm
Cafe closes 4.30pm
Sunday
Lunch 12 - 2.30pm
Cafe closes 3.30pm.
The Gallery is situated in Whitworth Park, opposite Manchester Royal Infirmary. It is about 1.5 miles south of Manchester city centre, to the south of The University of Manchester campus.
By Bus
There is a frequent bus service along Oxford Road to and from the city centre. In addition, the Oxford Road Link - bus number 147 - operates from Monday to Friday from Piccadilly Station. The route was extended in February 2006 to pass the Gallery. Visitors to the Gallery should alight at Nelson Street. Return using the same stop or the stop on Grafton Street.
By Train
Travel to Manchester Oxford Road, Piccadilly or Victoria stations.
By Metrolink
Travel to Piccadilly Gardens or St Peter's Square.
Address:
The Whitworth Art Gallery
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road