Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery stands on the corner of Museum Street and Richmond Terrace in Blackburn with Darwen. The building was opened in 1874 as an art gallery and library, later enlarged in 1893. It is a Grade II listed structure, now housing the museum’s local and social history collections. The roof was repaired between July 2023 and March 2024. The museum also incorporates the former Lewis Textile Museum, renamed Cottontown, after its contents were moved inside. The collections include Christian icons, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and local history. Notable items are the Japanese Print Collection amassed by Thomas Boys Lewis, the Manuscript and Numismatic Collections bequeathed by Edward Hart, and an Egyptology collection based on items collected by John Garstang. The museum holds the Victoria Cross of Marcus Ervine-Andrews, the last Irish recipient, who was educated at Stonyhurst College. Visitors find rooms displaying these varied collections, including the gallery for looms in Cottontown. The building’s two floors show art and local history together. The Egyptology section features items gathered by John Garstang. The Victoria Cross of Marcus Ervine-Andrews is displayed among the military and social history exhibits.