Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery stands in Chamberlain Square, a stone’s throw from the city’s council buildings. The red-brick and terracotta façade rises above a lofty portico topped by a pediment carved with an allegory of Birmingham contributing to the fine arts. Inside, cast-iron columns support the main gallery space, their intricate detailing visible from floor to ceiling. The building was designed by Yeoville Thomason and opened in 1885 after a campaign led by Mayor Jesse Collings and a gift from Sir Richard and George Tangye. The entrance hall bears the inscription ‘By the gains of Industry we promote Art’, echoing the museum’s origins in civic pride and private generosity. The gallery houses one of Britain’s finest collections of fine art and antiquities, recognised by the Magazine of Art in 1900. Its holdings include the world’s largest collection of works by Edward Burne-Jones and paintings by Pre-Raphaelites such as John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The antiquities range from Nimrud ivories and Egyptian artefacts to coins from ancient Greece and Rome. The museum also preserves local history, including the Sultanganj Buddha donated in 1864. After wartime damage in 1940, curators like Mary Woodall rebuilt the collection through donations and exhibitions that drew national attention. Visitors enter beneath the clock-tower known locally as ‘Big Brum’ and find spacious galleries such as the Round Room and the Bridge Gallery. The Industrial Gallery traces Birmingham’s manufacturing past, while the history galleries display mediaeval artefacts and coins. Temporary exhibitions have featured everything from Steve McCurry’s photographs to a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The tearoom and shop occupy ground-floor spaces, and the Gas Hall hosts major shows throughout the year. The building’s blend of Victorian grandeur and modern display creates a setting where art, history and industry meet.