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Bolton Museum and Art Gallery

[Library entrance]

66k JPEG March 1996

This building houses the town's central library, originally built as the Civic Centre, but later the library was transferred here in July 1938. Bolton was the third town in the country to adopt the Public Libraries Act of 1850, opened its doors on October 12th 1853 in the Exchange Building. The library also held a small museum collection, when Dr. Chadwick paid for a museum in Queens Park, which opened in 1881, items transferred to the new building. Inside this modern library which includes a video and audio section, a foyer shop sells various items including books of local interest. In the basement is an aquarium.

The museum has a web site at http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/

There is also an ongoing project of images you can visit at http://www.Our.Treasures.org/

[inside the aquarium]

41k GIF 49k JPEG view into main section January 2000

There are a wide range of tropical, including (they believe) the oldest piranha in the world! Unfortunately, in 2000, the piranha died but it did make local TV news. Also with regard to the paintings, I would have liked to have at least included a thumbnail of the picture (I went to see it and was very impressed when it was on show) but getting permissions sorted would have been fairly tricky. As you know photography is not allowed in the gallery but there have been some fascinating exhibits.

[view of tanks]

30k GIF 62k JPEG alternate view January 2000



[Egyptology section]

108k JPEG February 1996.

The top floor contains the museum, there is one of the largest Egyptian collections in the country, and a Natural and Social History section.

[Natural History section]

144k JPEG February 1996.

Natural and local history.

An art gallery containing 18th and 19th Century watercolours, and contemporary art. The gallery also runs special exhibitions from time to time. (It was not possible to photograph within the gallery). Of note the library owns works by Bolton born Thomas Moran from the United States.

Go outside the library into the virtual walk
[Outside the library]

120k Summer 1995.


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