The Haphazard Origins of the British Public Art Gallery

MOST PEOPLE IN BRITAIN TODAY are within reach of a public art gallery with a good quality permanent collection and frequent exhibitions. More often than not, entrance is free. But at the beginning of the nineteenth century the public art gallery as we know it today did not exist. How the following two centuries saw almost every town and city open at least one gallery is the story of this book. It is a story of people rather than buildings, and of small groups of individuals rather than official activity. As such, it is a story of seized opportunities, determined campaigning, and the use of whatever channels were available to achieve the goal. Although there are common themes, each gallery came about in its own way, a route which is probably unique to Britain. So though the process is indeed haphazard, it is also uniquely fascinating.