Manchester’s Arts and Crafts Revolution: Unveiling the Northern Art Workers’ Guild

Posted on: April 7th, 2025 by mlpEditor

William Morris and Manchester’s Creative Roots

Manchester has long been a hidden gem in the Arts and Crafts movement, with connections that run far deeper than most realise. William Morris, the movement’s most iconic figure, was a frequent visitor to the city, and Manchester was home to the only Morris & Co shop outside of London – located right on Albert Square.

It was here that Morris first shared his now-famous philosophy: Do not have anything in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful – words that would echo through design history.

 

A Crucible of Artistic Innovation

The city was a crucible of artistic and social innovation. Morris delivered his groundbreaking lecture Art, Wealth and Riches at the Manchester Royal Institution (now Manchester Art Gallery), an event that challenged contemporary thinking – though perhaps a bit too radically for its initial audience!

Alongside Morris, other influential figures like John Ruskin frequently lectured here, and artists such as Walter Crane – who was Head of Design at the Manchester Municipal School of Art from 1893 to 1896 – helped shape the city’s creative landscape.

 

The Northern Art Workers’ Guild: A Revolutionary Collective

But there’s an even more fascinating story waiting to be told. In 1896, a group of passionate local artists, architects, and artisans came together to form the Northern Art Workers’ Guild – a collective that would challenge the traditional narratives of the Arts and Crafts movement. Unlike many contemporary movements that focused on rural idylls or London-centric perspectives, this Guild planted its roots firmly in the heart of industrial England.

 

Breaking Barriers: Women in the Arts and Crafts Movement

What makes this Guild truly remarkable was its progressive spirit. At a time when women were often marginalized in professional circles, the Northern Art Workers’ Guild was radical in its approach. Women were not just members but active, equal participants – holding office, delivering talks, and showcasing their work in open exhibitions.

 

A Lasting Legacy of Design and Creativity

Though the Guild existed for a relatively short period (1896-1912), its influence rippled far beyond its years. Its legacy continued through subsequent initiatives like the Manchester branch of the Design & Industries Association, established in 1917, and the Red Rose Guild of Artworkers, which began its annual craft exhibitions in 1920. These organisations ensured that Manchester continued to be an important centre for craft and design in the inter-war years.

 

Join Us for an Extraordinary Journey

Join us for an extraordinary journey through Manchester’s hidden design history. Barry Clark will unveil this captivating narrative through a beautifully illustrated talk, bringing to life original documents and untold stories of creativity, innovation, and social change. As an experienced lecturer, author and craft bookbinder, Barry offers a uniquely insightful perspective on this fascinating chapter of Manchester’s artistic heritage.

 

Practical Information

The presentation will include time for questions and discussion. Booking is essential.

 

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk

How They Built the Atom Bomb: The Manchester Connection

Posted on: March 19th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Manchester’s Atomic Legacy

What connections does our city have to one of humanity’s most transformative scientific developments? Manchester’s scientific legacy holds surprising links to the development of atomic energy and ultimately, the atomic bomb.

 

The Birth of Atomic Theory (1803)

The story begins on October 21, 1803, at the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society on George Street in what is now Chinatown. That evening, John Dalton, a Manchester-based scientist, presented his groundbreaking atomic theory to the Lit & Phil, proposing that atoms were the fundamental building blocks of all matter. This revolutionary idea would forever change our understanding of the physical world.

 

Splitting the Atom (1917)

Just over a century later, in September 1917, Ernest Rutherford achieved another milestone at Manchester University when he split the atom, transforming nitrogen into oxygen. Neither Dalton nor Rutherford could have fully envisioned how their discoveries would ultimately lead to harnessing the atom’s tremendous energy.

 

The path to the Manhattan Project

As we approach the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2025, join Ed Glinert—Manchester historian, author, and tour guide—for an exploration of this remarkable scientific journey. From Dalton’s early theories to Rutherford’s experiments, from the scientists who first recognized the potential of nuclear chain reactions to the Manhattan Project, we’ll examine this complex legacy.

 

Questions to Explore

We’ll also consider fascinating questions:

  • How did Manchester become the world’s first nuclear-free zone in 1980?
  • What factors led to the Allies developing the bomb before Nazi Germany?
  • How do we reconcile the scientific achievement with its devastating human impact?

 

This thought-provoking discussion invites us to reflect on Manchester’s pivotal role in a scientific advancement that continues to shape our world.

 

Practical Information

The talk includes a Q&A session and light refreshments can be purchased from the venue’s bar.

Booking is essential. Lit & Phil members: we recommend logging into the website to make booking your free member ticket quicker and easier.

 

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk

 

Manchester City Centre Peace Trail: A Guided Walk

Posted on: March 14th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Curious about the hidden stories of peace in our city? Come along with Steve Roman, passionate peace activist and storyteller, as we wander through Manchester’s streets uncovering the remarkable Peace Trail during Manchester Peace Week.

Meeting Point: Manchester Victoria Station, underneath the large, tiled map

Duration: 2 hours

Accessibility: It is suitable for people in wheelchairs. The route is paved and flat, apart from one slope. When we go through the Library there are lifts for those who need them.

 

Our Shared Journey

Together we’ll explore how ordinary buildings and familiar corners of Manchester hold extraordinary stories of peace activism and social change. What might we discover about our city’s evolving role—from industrial powerhouse to global advocate for justice and peace? Each stop invites us to see Manchester through fresh eyes.

 

The walk will include the following themes / sites with perhaps some new perspectives:

  • Migration and the movement of peoples
  • Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Manchester Cathedral and the campaign against Chattel Slavery
  • John Dalton, the “Nuclear Timeline”, the Peace Garden, MAG (Mines Advisory Group) and the Nobel Peace Prize
  • The Hidden Gem and religious tolerance, Free thinking and Science
  • The Free Trade Hall, Suffragists and Suffragettes
  • and, subject to time, Peterloo, the popular reform movement and Engels

 

The guide is donating his fee to charity

 

Join the Wider Conversation

This walk is part of Manchester Peace Week—a community celebration brought to life by CARISMA (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area). Professor Erinma Bell’s vision continues to evolve as we gather for this annual tradition, creating spaces where peace, safety, and harmony can flourish across our diverse communities.

Don’t miss the week’s culmination at the Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse, where the everyday heroes weaving peace into the fabric of our neighbourhoods will be celebrated.

Wonder more at: carisma.me.uk | discoverpeace.eu | manchesterpeacetrail.org.uk

Interview with Dr Dean Kirby

Posted on: March 4th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Q: What first drew you to study Engels’s observations of Manchester, and how did discovering your family’s connection to Angel Meadow influence your perspective on his work?

A: I was drawn to study Engels and Angel Meadow by researching my family history, which began as a teenager with my dad back in the 1980s, at a time when genealogy wasn’t as popular or as easy as it is now.

We spent a lot of time visiting Manchester Central Library, sitting side by side on these wooden chairs they used to have, searching for our Irish-Mancunian ancestors on these big old microfilm readers that you rarely see these days.

“Scrolling through the census pages one-by-one felt to me like walking through the streets of the Victorian city. We would go down one street, turn left and down the next one until we eventually, after a lot of hard work, found my three-times-great-grandfather William Kirby, who had come to Manchester from County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland.”

I can still remember holding a photocopy of that census page in my hand and looking at the word Ireland over and over on the bus home. It was the first time I realised I had a history that stretched beyond Manchester.

Over the decades, we’ve carried on our ancestry search, including making visits to Dublin and Mayo.

In around 2010, I had an idea to start looking at old maps and the poor rate books to see if I could find out more about where William was living in Manchester.

I discovered that, after he arrived, he was living underground with his family in a cellar off Hanover Street in Shudehill, in what would have been terrible conditions. He then moved to Charter Street, which I found was in the heart of a notorious slum district called Angel Meadow.

It turned out that William’s house was demolished in slum clearances after the Second World War and that the remains of it were still locked away under what was until recently a car park.

When the old Victorian houses were knocked down in Manchester, the rubble was mostly back-filled into the cellar holes and concrete poured over the top, leaving the remains of the houses sealed down there like Egyptian tombs waiting to be rediscovered.

I used to park my car in this car park because it was cheap and close to the Arndale Centre. I even got into the habit of trying to park over where I knew the house was – to claim the land back for a short while.

But one night I was going with my wife to a Noel Gallagher gig at Manchester Arena and we found the car park locked up. There was a sign saying Archaeologists at Work. To be honest I lost a bit of interest in the gig and just wanted to spend the night peering through the fence in the darkness to try to see what the archaeologists had been doing.

The next morning, I dashed back and spoke to the archaeologists. They were digging up the houses there to find out more about the living conditions in Victorian Manchester – the world’s first industrial city.

When they had finished the dig, they invited me and my dad to come back and we were able to climb down a metal ladder into the cellar holes and, almost like time travellers, touch the walls and stand on the flagstones.

It was an incredible moment, which really spurred me into finding out everything I could about the history of the area, including investigating what Friedrich Engels had written about it.

I went on to write a bestselling book about Angel Meadow and in 2023 I completed a PhD thesis re-evaluating what Engels had said about Angel Meadow in The Condition of the Working Class in England.

Today, I lead walking tours around the area for people including Mancunians whose ancestors also lived in Angel Meadow.

 

Q: How accurate do you think Engels’s portrayal of Angel Meadow was, based on your research into both your family history and the broader historical record? 

A: Engels offers a really powerful account of Angel Meadow and Manchester as a whole that to a large extent matches what other writers were saying about it at the time.

He was one of a handful of outsiders who were brave enough to step foot in the courtyards and alleyways where he said people were living in “Hell upon Earth”.

His descriptions of that small area of the city are so important not just because they are first-hand but because The Condition went on to have a huge impact on the development of the modern world.

“One thing Engels got right was his discovery that builders were laying bricks end to end to create walls that were just half-a-brick thick. This was evidenced by archaeologists, although they felt this was part of the vernacular style in Manchester rather than an attempt to scrimp on materials in workers’ homes as Engels suggested.”

It is also clear that Engels was highly selective in the streets and courts he chose to visit to emphasise the lowest quality housing and that he missed or misinterpreted the reality of living conditions in an area that was dominated by what had once been larger Georgian housing designed for artisan weavers, sometimes with porticoed doorways.

It’s not that the conditions were better but the causes of them were much more nuanced than he described.

Engels was also wrong about the Irish, who he appears to have felt were the cause of their own poor living conditions. My research has shown that they were more likely to be found at the top of Angel Meadow in the larger housing rather than the worst courts Engels found near the River Irk.

 

Q: Have you found any interesting discrepancies between Engels’s written accounts and other historical sources from the period? 

A: Being a journalist, I admire the work of a Victorian investigative reporter named Angus Bethune Reach who visited Angel Meadow just a couple of years after Engels.

He was a better writer than Engels and he did something that Engels appears not to have done – he went inside the houses and spoke to the people living in them.

In Reach’s writing, we get to follow him down the cellar steps into the “subterranean holes, utterly without light” where Irish-Mancunians were living as he discovers “beds huddled in every corner”.

His descriptions are ever more visceral than Engels’s because you start to witness something of the human tragedy that was happening to families behind closed doors.

At the lowest level of one network of cellars he finds an old man asleep in a coffin-shaped hole that extends out of the wall into the bare earth.

“I turned away,” Reach writes, “and was glad when I found myself breathing such comparatively fresh air as can be found in Angel Meadow, Manchester.”

 

Q: As both a journalist and a descendant of Angel Meadow residents, how do you balance your professional objectivity with your personal connection to this history? 

A: As an academic historian and journalist, you are taught to carefully assess the evidence and to analyse it in a dispassionate and objective way, which clearly makes sense if you are writing a news story or researching an article for an academic journal.

In that light, my personal connection to Angel Meadow can be seen as bringing just another set of, albeit quite personal, sources and experiences to the table to be studied and analysed.

But my interest in history is really to find out what it was like for ordinary people who went through it – something that a US social historian named Stephan Thernstrom described back in 1964 as “history from the bottom up”.

What was it like, for example, for our Mancunians forebears living in one of those courtyards visited by Engels?

To try to properly understand that you have to leave your objectivity at the front door and tell their story with a huge amount of personal empathy. That’s something that Reach did and is something I always try to do in my books and on my walking tours.

“Walking tours are obviously different environments from the world of academia but I think that helping people to understand and get to grips with the street-level history of Manchester is in many ways much more important. And being in the place where your ancestors lived really helps you connect with them in a way you cannot learn about in books.”

 

Q: Could you tell us about a specific discovery about your ancestors that changed your understanding of life in Victorian Manchester? 

A: I have two objects at home that are precious in their own way, and which tell a story about my ancestors’ lives in Angel Meadow, in a way that books by Engels and other contemporary writers never could.

One of these is our family Bible which was found in a relative’s attic and given to my dad some years ago. It’s a huge book with a decaying brown leather cover with the date 1866 handwritten inside in a shaky hand.

But whereas the Bibles of wealthier families perhaps have lists of names and birthdays inside, our Bible only has the word “dead” written over and over – a single word that tells you so much about the conditions in which they were living.

“The other object I have is a brick from William’s fireplace that was given to me by the archaeologists during the dig. When they pulled it out of the wall and turned it over, it was still covered in a thick layer of soot from the fire that would have kept William and his children warm on a cold winter’s day.”

The fireplace was very important to Irish families and when people left Ireland, they would give a piece of the still-burning peat to a neighbour to “keep the home fire burning” until they returned. So, in some ways, by keeping that brick I am keeping up the family tradition.

A few years ago, we had the kitchen done and the builders found the brick in the garage and threw it in the skip, but I climbed in and managed to rescue it. I’ve carried it across town on the bus to do a talk about it at the university.

 

Q: How do you think Engels would view Manchester today? Are there parallels between the social issues he observed and challenges we face in modern cities? 

A: In 2024 when the story broke that a £2.5m penthouse flat in Manchester was to be named The Engels, I was asked what I thought about it by the BBC.

I said at the time that Engels was a man of huge contradictions – the frock-coated communist who enjoyed lobster salad and fox hunting as well as wandering through the slums of Victorian Manchester. So, he may have enjoyed the lifestyle of modern high-rise living while writing about the deprivation still prevalent in modern cities.

But he would not have been surprised to discover that cities around the world, not just Manchester, are still trying to find ways of coping with the challenges of urbanisation that he identified 180 years ago.

 

Q: How has your research into Engels’s work and Angel Meadow’s history influenced your understanding of Manchester’s development as a city? 

A: History is important because it helps to define who you are and what you will do in the future – and that applies to cities as much as it does individual people.

It’s only when you start reading about the history of Manchester that you realise the huge role it has played in the development of the modern world.

It was the world’s first modern city and is often described as the place where the modern world began. It was also the first to have to deal with the acute social problems that Engels wrote about.

Growing up in the 1980s, we weren’t taught about any of that in school and I only hope children are being taught about it today.

It’s also important to know what families in Angel Meadow and other parts of the city went through. Many of them came from other places to live and work in Manchester, and faced a fight for survival while building the city we call home.

“As Mancunians, we need to keep talking about and be proud of our story – and take ownership too of it so that it isn’t left just to outsiders like Engels to tell it. We need to pass that story on to future generations too.”

 

Thank you to Dean for taking the time to answer our questions.

Dr Dean Kirby will be giving his talk – Engles in Manchester: Past Meets Present – at Friends’ Meeting House, Manchester, on Wednesday 21 May.

The dark side of sugar: a historical journey

Posted on: February 24th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Discover the complex history of sugar – from its ancient origins to its modern-day impact on global health and society. Dr Neil Buttery explores how this seemingly simple ingredient has shaped our world in profound and often troubling ways.

 

Key Topics

This fascinating talk recorded in January 2025 explores the evolution of human taste preferences and why we developed such a strong attraction to sweet foods. Dr Buttery traces sugar’s journey from ancient honey-hunting practices through to early sugar production, examining its significant role in medieval European society.

The discussion covers the colonial sugar trade and its lasting impact, before addressing modern sugar industry practices and their implications for public health. The talk concludes with an examination of current challenges and governmental responses to sugar consumption.

 

What You’ll Learn

You’ll discover how our ancestors sought out sweet foods as an essential survival strategy and follow sugarcane’s remarkable 10,000-year journey from Papua New Guinea across the globe. Dr Buttery explains sugar’s transformation from luxury item to everyday commodity, while addressing the environmental and social impact of its production. The talk concludes with an examination of current debates surrounding sugar consumption and public health initiatives.

 

Content Notice

This talk includes discussion of historical events including colonialism, slavery, and exploitation. While these topics are handled sensitively, some content may be challenging.

The Roads to Rome: A Journey Through 2000 Years of History

Posted on: February 18th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Did you know that many of Europe’s modern roads still follow ancient Roman paths? Join us as historian Catherine Fletcher uncovers the fascinating stories of the world’s most influential road network.

 

Journey Highlights

Drawing from her own travels from Scotland to Istanbul, Catherine explores:

– How these remarkable roads shaped the cultures and connections of an entire continent

– The diverse voices of those who travelled these routes – from pilgrims and artists to refugees and revolutionaries

– What these ancient highways reveal about power, resistance, and cultural exchange across two millennia

 

Characters You’ll Meet

You’ll meet an unforgettable cast of characters along the way, including spies, Byzantine noblewomen, John Keats, Frederick Douglass, and even Mussolini on his motorbike. Through their stories, discover how these stone-paved paths continue to captivate our imagination and influence our world today.

 

Questions We’ll Explore

The event will explore intriguing questions like:

– Why do Roman roads still appear on modern maps?

– How did local communities respond to these new connections through their lands?

– What can these ancient routes tell us about our present-day networks and connections?

 

Research and Background

Based on original research and Catherine’s personal journey, this talk promises to be an enlightening exploration of history, culture, and human connection.

 

About the speaker

Catherine Fletcher is Professor of History at Manchester Metropolitan University and author of The Roads to Rome: A History. A regular voice on BBC Radio 4 and popular history podcasts, she brings historical insights to wide audiences through her engaging storytelling.

 

Event schedule

5.15 pm – Arrival and check-in

5.30 – 6.30 pm – Drinks reception/food for members and special guests in the Geoffrey Manton Atrium

6.30 – 7.45 pm – Lecture by Professor Catherine Fletcher in Geoffrey Manton Lecture Room 5 (GMLT5)

7.45 pm – Event ends

 

We are very grateful to Manchester Metropolitan University for hosting this year’s Percival Lecture. This is a members-only event and places are limited. Booking opens Wednesday 19 February 2025.

Imagined Manchester: what our city could have been

Posted on: February 17th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Discover the hidden stories of Manchester’s urban landscape. This talk explores incredible city plans that were never built, revealing fascinating “what if” moments in Manchester’s history.

 

What You’ll Experience

Recorded on 23 January at Friends’ Meeting House, Manchester, this engaging presentation showcases extraordinary images of imagined city schemes, shares stories about unrealized architectural projects, and provides deep insights into Manchester’s urban development.

 

Fascinating Plans

Jonathan discusses remarkable unbuilt designs including a part-Eiffel Tower in Piccadilly Gardens, a Deansgate travelator, a communications tower behind Piccadilly Station, a mini-Parthenon on Upper Brook Street, and potential city boulevards and heliports.

 

Key Questions Explored

The talk delves into how cities develop, why some ambitious plans succeed while others fail, and what truly shapes urban landscapes. These explorations challenge our understanding of city planning and architectural imagination.

 

Perfect for

Anyone curious about Manchester’s history, urban planning, and alternative city visions.

Engels in Manchester: Past Meets Present

Posted on: February 4th, 2025 by mlpEditor

Step into the footsteps of Friedrich Engels and discover Manchester’s hidden histories through fresh eyes. What happens when a descendant of Angel Meadow’s residents retraces one of history’s most influential urban walks?

 

A Book That Echoes Through Time

Join us on a fascinating journey through Manchester’s industrial past as we explore one of history’s most influential urban studies – Friedrich Engels’s The Condition of the Working Class in England. First published in 1845, this groundbreaking work opened the world’s eyes to life in Victorian Manchester and continues to influence how we think about cities today.

 

Uncovering Angel Meadow’s Secrets

Engels walked through Angel Meadow’s working-class courtyards, documenting the harsh realities of industrial life. But what stories lay beneath his observations? What hidden narratives await discovery in those historic streets?

 

Walking in Two Sets of Footsteps

In this special talk commemorating the 180th anniversary of The Condition, we’re thrilled to welcome Orwell Prize-nominated journalist and historian Dean Kirby. As a descendant of Angel Meadow residents, Kirby brings a unique personal connection to this story. He’ll take us along Engels’s original route, sharing fresh insights and unexpected discoveries that add new dimensions to our understanding of Manchester’s transformation from industrial powerhouse to modern metropolis.

 

Practical Information

Booking is essential. Lit & Phil members: we recommend logging into the website to make booking your free member ticket quicker and easier.

 

About the Speaker

Dr Dean Kirby is an award-winning writer and historian-at-large, who writes and consults on the history of Manchester.

 

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk

Manchester: The Original Modern City

Posted on: February 3rd, 2025 by mlpEditor

Overview

Manchester, built on the foundations of industrial capitalism and shaped by nonconformist thinking, provided the perfect crucible for modernist ideas to flourish. From the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution through to the technological breakthroughs of the 20th century, Manchester has consistently been at the forefront of innovation – earning its reputation as the Original Modern City.

 

The Rise of Modernism and Its Pioneers

This talk by expert Eddy Rhead explores the emergence of Modernism as a cultural movement and its profound influence on Manchester’s built environment. Together we’ll examine how the city became a hub for modernist thinking, attracting and nurturing innovative minds across multiple fields.

 

A hub for original thinkers

From Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophical contributions to the technological advances at Manchester’s universities – including Alan Turing’s computing breakthroughs and Bernard Lovell’s astronomical discoveries – the city has been a beacon for revolutionary ideas. We’ll also explore how cultural pioneers like Anthony Wilson, Mitzi Cunliffe, and Violet Carson helped shape Manchester’s modern identity through institutions like Granada Television and Factory Records.

 

Architectural Legacy and Future Vision

The discussion will showcase notable examples of Modernist architecture across Manchester’s commercial, civic, institutional, and religious buildings, demonstrating how the city’s architecture evolved to meet changing needs.

We’ll uncover ambitious urban planning proposals from the latter half of the 20th century – some unrealized but whose influence can still be traced in today’s cityscape.

Finally, we’ll examine how post-industrial Manchester reinvented itself through culture-led regeneration, shaping the dynamic modern city we see today.

 

About the speaker

Eddy Rhead is an author, the co-founder of The Modernist Society and co-director of Manchester based independent publishing house the modernist. His knowledge and enthusiasm make him the ideal guide for a gripping exploration of Manchester’s Modernist history.

 

Practical Information

The talk includes a Q&A session and light refreshments can be purchased from the venue’s bar.

Booking is essential. Lit & Phil members: we recommend logging into the website to make booking your free member ticket quicker and easier.

 

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk

Through the Shop Windows: A Victorian Salford Experience

Posted on: December 16th, 2024 by mlpEditor

Experience the magic of Victorian Salford at Lark Hill Place – a meticulously preserved piece of local history within Salford Museum and Art Gallery.

Step into an evening in old Salford, where gas lamps cast a warm glow over cobbled streets lined with authentic shop fronts rescued from the city’s past. This remarkable recreation, established in 1955, preserves the character of 1870s Salford through carefully salvaged features from houses and shops that would have otherwise been lost to time.

Wander down the atmospheric street with our expert guide and discover the stories behind the Music Shop, Toy Shop, Chemist and Druggist. Call in at the Blue Lion pub, the Blacksmith and Wheelwright, and peek into the Artisan’s cottage and Dressmaker and Haberdasher. Each shop window and doorway offers a glimpse into daily life in Victorian Salford, filled with authentic objects and products from the era.

Your tour continues into the Victorian Gallery, home to historic masterpieces that tell the story of Salford’s rich artistic heritage. Afterwards, enjoy complimentary tea, coffee, and biscuits while chatting about your experience (£7.00 per person).

Join us for an unforgettable journey through time that brings our local heritage to life.

 

Good to know:

The tour will start at 1.30pm. Please arrive in good time. We will meet at the Information Desk in the museum.

After the tour has finished, why not make the most of your visit by exploring the museum gallery’s current exhibitions at your own pace:

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