Hannah Barlow: Decorating with Animals
One of the most magnificent artworks in our collection is a large vase decorated with a frieze of lions all the way round it. They were drawn freehand by a remarkable artist who overcame physical and financial adversity to rise to the top of her profession: Hannah Barlow.
Posted on: 24 December 2021
A Warm Welcome with a Biscuit
In our previous Victoria Building history blog we found out more about the construction of the Victoria Building and that after many delays, it finally opened publicly on the 13th December 1892. In this blog we find out more about the eventful opening ceremony that happened on the following evening.
Posted on: 10 December 2021
The Bidston Hill Signals Mug: A Who's Who of the Liverpool Slave Trade
Sometimes, otherwise unassuming objects in the Victoria Gallery & Museum can give a remarkable insight into an abominable and infamous past. One such object is the Bidston Hill signals creamware mug, currently on display in Gallery 1, which unlocks a glimpse at an important period in Liverpool’s maritime history: when the Transatlantic Slave Trade was thriving.
Posted on: 26 November 2021
Faience and Fiascos
In our previous Victoria Building History blog we learnt more about the original college building which had opened in 1882 and was based in the old asylum building on Ashton Street. The college rapidly grew and it was not long before the inadequacies of the building became apparent and so in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the College launched a fundraising appeal for the erection of a purpose-built headquarters. The College’s Council asked Liverpool-born architect Alfred Waterhouse to draw up plans and in this blog we take a close look at the construction of the Victoria Building.
Posted on: 12 November 2021
The Black Girl’s Silhouette
In 1770s Ormskirk, a young Black woman sat still while a visitor cut paper in the shape of her profile. We have been left with her likeness, a note about her character but not her name or life story, so our research about her is ongoing. Here’s what we know so far …
Posted on: 29 October 2021
Dionne Sparks: Diaspora Conversations
Artist Dionne Sparks revisits her collage-based work on paper, Conversations, acquired for the University of Liverpool’s collection in 1990 and traces the trajectory of her work from then to her current practice. Learn about the artist and what inspired her work over the years.
Posted on: 15 October 2021
From Asylum to Academia
If you stand behind the Victoria Gallery & Museum in the university quadrangle you may not realise that the foundations of the first building on this site lie beneath your feet. An asylum was erected here in 1829 and served until 1881 where it was repurposed and converted for the use of University College Liverpool. In this blog post we take a closer look at this buildings history.
Posted on: 17 September 2021
How Gogglehead got his gleam back
Larger than life, this disembodied head with its sardonic grin has been a VG&M visitor favourite for years. But most didn’t realise that his sunglasses were nowhere near as shiny as they should be. This is the story of how Gogglehead got his gleam back.
Posted on: 3 September 2021
The Remarkable Mrs Horsfall
On 6 July 2000, after 93 years of life, Mrs Betty Horsfall died at her home in Aylburton, Gloucestershire. She left, in her legacy, a substantial contribution to the University of Liverpool, which has enriched many people’s lives without their ever knowing it. She was, in life as in death, a remarkable person.
Posted on: 20 August 2021