South Asian Gallery

As one of the first purpose built free museums to open outside of London in 1874, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery houses a rich and fascinating collection covering fine art, decorative art, Egyptology, coins, manuscripts, natural history, social history and South Asia.

The South Asian Gallery displays items from the region from decorated textiles and quilts to jewellery to furniture. The gallery features a display that recreates a traditional village home from the past.

Museum floor plan

Our Galleries

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery opened on 11th June 1874 as the Blackburn Free Library and Museum. The museum now occupies the entire building and collections include British 19th and 20th century fine art; the R E Hart Collection of early books and coins; the Thomas Boys Lewis collection of Japanese prints; Greek and Russian Icons; Egyptology as well as the borough’s local history and industrial history collections, including the Lewis Textile Collection which was formerly housed at the Lewis Textile Museum.

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