Museum of Liverpool
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Liverpool in Liverpool
, England
, opened on 19 July 2011 (with parts due to open 2nd December 2011) and is part of the National Museums Liverpool
group.
National Museums Liverpool intention is for the new venue to tell the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflect the city’s global significance. The museum is housed in a new purpose-built building on the Mann Island
site at the Pier Head
. The museum replaces the Museum of Liverpool Life
, which closed in June 2006.
The museum, designed by architects 3XN
and engineers Buro Happold
, was expected to cost £72 million and provide 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, housing more than 6,000 objects. There are also plans to have flexible spaces that regularly change to enable National Museums Liverpool to show more of their collections.
and botanical
collections and objects representing social
and urban
history, as well as oral testimonies, archaeological
material and photographic archives.
On 27 February 2007, steam locomotive Lion
, star of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt
, was moved by road from Manchester
to Liverpool for conservation work prior to it taking pride of place in the new museum.
and the changes in the British Empire
, and how these changes have impacted the city's economic development. The upper floor looks at Liverpool's particular and strong identity through examining the social history of the city, from settlement in the area from Neolithic
times to the present day, migration, and the various communities and cultures which contribute to the city's diversity.
The Museum also features: Little Liverpool, a gallery for children under six; History Detectives, an interactive archaeology and history resource centre; a 180-seat theatre for community and audio-visual performances; meeting facilities; and a brasserie.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, opened on 19 July 2011 (with parts due to open 2nd December 2011) and is part of the National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool, previously known as National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool, England. All museums and galleries in this group have free admission...
group.
National Museums Liverpool intention is for the new venue to tell the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflect the city’s global significance. The museum is housed in a new purpose-built building on the Mann Island
Mann Island
Mann Island is a small area in Liverpool, England.It lies on the waterfront next to the River Mersey between the Albert Dock to the south and the Pier Head to the north.-History:...
site at the Pier Head
Pier Head
The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It is part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004....
. The museum replaces the Museum of Liverpool Life
Museum of Liverpool Life
The Museum of Liverpool Life was a Museum in Liverpool, England, part of National Museums Liverpool, that focused on the contribution that the people of Liverpool made to national life...
, which closed in June 2006.
The museum, designed by architects 3XN
3XN
3XN is a Danish architectural practice with head office in Copenhagen.-History:The company was founded in Århus in 1986 as Nielsen, Nielsen & Nielsen by Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lars Frank Nielsen og Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen. The latter left the company, which is today led by a partner group of...
and engineers Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
, was expected to cost £72 million and provide 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, housing more than 6,000 objects. There are also plans to have flexible spaces that regularly change to enable National Museums Liverpool to show more of their collections.
Exhibitions
Exhibits from the entirety of National Museums Liverpool's collections are used for the Museum of Liverpool's displays. They tell the story of the city through items from collections of costume and decorative art, entomologicalEntomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
and botanical
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
collections and objects representing social
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
and urban
Urban History
Urban history is a field of history that examines the historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization. The approach tends to be multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries into fields like social history, architectural history, urban sociology, urban geography and archaeology.At...
history, as well as oral testimonies, archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
material and photographic archives.
On 27 February 2007, steam locomotive Lion
LMR 57 Lion
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway 57 Lion is an early 0-4-2 steam locomotive. One of a pair designed for hauling freight , built by Todd, Kitson & Laird of Leeds in 1838.-History:...
, star of the film The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film about a group of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. The film was written by T.E.B...
, was moved by road from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to Liverpool for conservation work prior to it taking pride of place in the new museum.
Core themes
The Museum displays are divided into four main themes: The Great Port, Global City, People’s Republic, and Wondrous Place, located in four large gallery spaces. On the ground floor, displays look at the city's urban and technological evolution, both local and national, including the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and the changes in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, and how these changes have impacted the city's economic development. The upper floor looks at Liverpool's particular and strong identity through examining the social history of the city, from settlement in the area from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times to the present day, migration, and the various communities and cultures which contribute to the city's diversity.
The Museum also features: Little Liverpool, a gallery for children under six; History Detectives, an interactive archaeology and history resource centre; a 180-seat theatre for community and audio-visual performances; meeting facilities; and a brasserie.