Manchester School of Art Collection
Historical and contemporary art, craft and design.
About the collection
This outstanding collection of objects and artworks started life as the Manchester School of Art Arts & Crafts Museum, which opened in 1898. It was created to inform and inspire students and the public by giving them access to examples of world-class craft and design that were not available elsewhere in Manchester.
The Collection continues to fulfill this role through the addition of new and contemporary work by internationally renowned makers.
Image: ‘Campanules’ by Rene Lalique, 1932
The collection includes a wide range of materials, forms and techniques. From pottery to plastics and oil paintings, it has examples of craft and design from the ancient world to the present day and from across the world. It holds an important collection of objects from the Arts and Crafts movement, including:
- the Adoration of the Magi tapestry, designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones in 1890 and made by Morris & Co. in 1894
- metalwork by C. R. Ashbee and the Guild of Handicrafts
- jewellery by May Morris
- glass by James Powell & Sons, Tiffany and Loetz
Other significant works are:
- Shell-Mex and Empire Marketing Board posters from the 1920s
- 20th and 21st century ceramics and studio pottery
- contemporary British craft
- work by staff and students of the Manchester School of Art
The collections can be searched online using the Search link below. You can view it in person in our Reading Room by making an appointment. If you’d like to bring your students to see some of the archive, enquire about a group visit.
Access the collection
Photography and Copyright
You can photograph our collections for personal study and research only. Just ask for a Photography Permission Form when you visit.
If you’re not able to visit us in person, we may be able to send you a scan or photograph of the item instead.
Contact us if you need an image for use in social media, print or online publication, or commercial purposes.
Get in touch
