Bradford Museums and Galleries: Cartwright Hall

http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/home/

Cartwright Hall opened in 1904 with a collection of Victorian and
Edwardian works donated by the Yorkshire industrialist Samuel Lister.

The building was designed Sir John W Simpson and EJ Milner Allen, the same architects as Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The design of the building represents 'Bradford Baroque', a style of architecture typical of the burgeoning wealth of Bradford in the early 20th century.

The majority of the collection consists of 19th and 20th century British art, with a particularly strong collectionv of work by David Hockney alongside a number of contemporary prints by both British and international artists. Recent acquisitions include a selection of contemporary South Asian Art, Islamic calligraphy, illustrated textiles in the phulkari style and items of Sikh art, including a portrait of Guru Nanak.

The craft collection further holds a number of contemporary South Asian works. The gallery programmes a variety of temporary exhibitions of historic, modern and contemporary work, the displays are greatly influenced by the focus on the educational use of the collection.

CARTWRIGHT HALL IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT (JAN. 2010).

Editor's note:
A little way out of town, the elegant building of Cartwright Hall epitomises the Victorian grandeur of Yorkshire’s industrial revolution. Located in the landscaped grounds of Lister Park with its own boating lake, a trip to the museum is full of discoveries. Inside the building the permanent collection is housed on the second floor with beautiful Henry Moores and an important collection of splash paintings by the Bradford born David Hockney.