Detail from engraving by Sands of 'The National Gallery - Charing Cross' from Wilkins's design, c. 1837.

National Gallery History Group

The National Gallery History Group was launched in 1999, to mark the 175th anniversary of the founding of the National Gallery. This discussion group aims to explore issues related to the history of the Gallery and other national museums and galleries.

Past topics have included the architecture of the Gallery, Kenneth Clark, the Layard Bequest, the history of collecting and the Anrep mosaics.

Meetings are normally held three times a year, last for just over an hour and include a main paper of about 45 minutes in length, followed by some discussion on the points raised.

The meetings are open to anyone with an interest in the history of the Gallery or museums and galleries in general. They will be of particular interest to users of the Gallery Archive and Dossiers, as well as colleagues from other museums, academic establishments and organisations.

Back to History of the Gallery