City Art Gallery & Museum - About the Building

CITY ART GALLERY & MUSEUM - About the Building

About the Building
Activities & Events
Current Exhibitions
School & Group Visits
Past Exhibitions
Print Loan Service
How to Find Us
Opening Times


Home Page

The Public Library and Hastings Museum - 19th c

Worcester Museum was founded in 1833 by the members of the Worcestershire Natural History Society and claims to be one of the oldest regional museums in the Country. The collections were described as miscellaneous by one of the first curators and were originally shown in temporary rooms in Angel Street.

In 1835 a new building was built to house the collections in Foregate Street on the present site of the Odeon Cinema. The museum was called the Hastings Museum in honour of Sir Charles Hastings, who was president of the Worcestershire Medical Society and a consultant physician at Worcester Infirmary. He is also famous for helping to set up the British Medical Association.

Worcester's first museum -
The Public Library and
Hastings Museum - built in
1835 on the present
site of the Odeon cinema.

Unfortunately, during the 1860’s the museum went into decline and the artefacts in the museum were described as being covered in dust. In 1879 the Free Libraries Act was adopted in Worcester and the Museum, Art Gallery and Library were amalgamated and given renewed funding.

In the 1880’s the museum committee sought the advice of the British Museum and Dr Henry Woodward submitted a long report making recommendations on the future management of the Museum.

In 1894 the foundation stone was laid by King George the V for a new building to house the Museum, Art Gallery and Library. This building was opened to the public in 1896 and is the present home of Worcester City Art Gallery, Museum and Library.

The Foregate Street elevation of the Museum, Art Gallery and Library as designed by J.W.Simpson and Milner Allen in 1896.

The Art Gallery in the Victoria Institute - early 20th c

The art gallery in the Victoria Institute hung with oil paintings in the early part of the 20th century.

The art gallery as it is today.

City Art Gallery & Museum, August 2000.