The Collections
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery houses a rich and fascinating collection of paintings, Japanese prints, Christian icons, medieval manuscripts, natural history specimens, egyptian artefacts and of course the local and social history of its hometown, Blackburn.
Find out more about the museum’s collections and view the image galleries below.
All images courtesy of Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery unless otherwise stated. Please contact the Museum for details of our commercial image licensing service.
Due to partial closure (roof renovation work) several collections will be inaccessible until the work is completed.
Please contact the museum for further information.
Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery Art UK Shop
Browse and purchase prints and image licenses
Manufacturing and Industry
From weaving to paper-making, mining to valve production, Blackburn with Darwen has always been a centre of industrial innovation and creativity
Level 2 – Research Room & Object Handling
Level 2 - Research Room & Object Handling
RE Hart: Blackburn’s ‘Worthy Citizen’ Podcast
Listen to this podcast bringing to life Robert Edward Hart, Blackburn's 'Worthy Citizen', who left is collection of books and coins to the people of Blackburn on his death.
Videos about the collections
Watch videos about the museum and its collections. Sir Brian Vickers speaks about the museum's Shakespeare folios.
Coins and Manuscripts
Bequeathed to the museum by local rope maker R.E Hart, the collection is one of the best collections of manuscripts and coins in the country.
Social History
3 galleries tell the history of Blackburn and the surrounding area.
Natural History
Birds, badgers and beetles delight in the Natural HIstory collection.
Fine Art
Oil paintings, watercolours and one of the largest public collections of Japanese woodblock prints outside of London.
Egyptology
The dedicated Egyptology space, is home to the most requested and sought after item in the whole museum. The Mummy.
Decorative Arts
Blackburn Museum has a fascinating collection of Decorative Arts including icons, ceramics, textiles and furniture.
