Museum and Art Gallery

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 4 Mar 2022

The top of Park Street is home to the University of Bristol and other institutions. The history of the area is quite varied, with many buildings changing hands and purpose. This facade is the entrance to the modern Museum and Art Gallery, designed by Frederick Wills in an Edwardian Baroque style, and opened in 1905. Previously the site was home to the Bishop's Chapel and a Blind Asylum in the early nineteenth century. Shortly after, the site was converted into a private club, originally the Victoria then the Salisbury; behind it a volunteer drill hall was built as the clouds of war started to gather. Also included was a gymnasium. The museum and art gallery first occupied the site immediately to the left of shot. Bristol's involvement with the tobacco trade is dominated by the Wills family, members of which donated large sums of money to establish an academic presence. It was Sir William Henry Wills (1830–1911) who gave £10,000 for this building, which initially was used for other purposes but the museum later moved into it and remains so today. See Image] for a wide view.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0