The De Morgan Museum isn’t your average museum. A large and beautiful collection of Victorian Pre-Raphaelite paintings and ceramics, it was homeless just five years ago and in serious threat of being forgotten. Thanks to a serious overhaul of its operations, exhibitions, and creation of a digital guide, the new De Morgan Museum has just been awarded Accreditation status. Working in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Council and staff at Barnsley Museums, the new De Morgan Museum at Cannon Hall, Barnsley, forms the unusual offer of a museum-within-a-museum.
© Scott Bairstow Photography – De Morgan Museum, Cannon Hall, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK.
Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries. It means that the new De Morgan Museum is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations. De Morgan Museum presents the artwork of husband and wife Pre-Raphaelite artists Evelyn and William De Morgan at Cannon Hall in richly decorated galleries with plenty of artwork, furniture, ceramics and drawings to see.
The De Morgans were unusual artists, who used their artwork to advocate against the social inequalities of their day. This started at home in an equal marriage, where Evelyn was the main breadwinner and supported in her professional ambitions by her husband William, who was an active campaigner for women’s suffrage. The galleries at the new De Morgan Museum are organised by theme, welcoming visitors to contemplate the social and political climate the works were made in and how that might be relevant today.
One gallery presents artworks which centre on the common theme of transitions and asks visitors to consider a painting by Evelyn De Morgan called The Waters of Babylon (1883). She painted Pslam 137 from the Bible, which describes the Jews in exile from their homeland. But her attention to detail and focus on the physical agony caused to the people in the picture by their separation from home speaks to us over the centuries and allows us to discuss the refugee crisis in our own lifetime. Working with communities to identify important themes in the artworks and actively speaking to audiences was just one of the reasons De Morgan was select for Accreditation status. Other themes in the museum include scientific invention, feminism, and climate change.
The Waters of Babylon by Evelyn De Morgan (1883)
There is a historic foundation for the present day partnership between Barnsley and De Morgan, as the artist Evelyn De Morgan’s mother was born at Cannon Hall. So, in 2016, when the De Morgan Foundation had lost its long-term public space in Wandsworth, South West London, the team at Barnsley stepped into help by offering a new public display space for the collection. Following a major refurbishment, new displays, the creation of a digital guide, plus a huge amount of work behind the scenes, the unusual museum was recognised as a well-run, viable museum by the Arts Council in November 2022.
Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.
In order to inspire future generations, digital has been at the heart of the new De Morgan Museum. To ensure accessibility and enrich onsite and online visits, the De Morgan Museum has today launched a digital guide featuring audio and video content. The new, digital guide is available through Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Bloomberg Connects app, available for download from Google Play or the App Store, makes the De Morgan Museum accessible for either onsite or offsite visits through photo, audio and video features offering insights into Evelyn De Morgan’s symbolic paintings and William De Morgan’s beautiful ceramics. The digital guide ensures that this new museum makes the art of the past available for audiences well into its exciting new future as an Accredited Museum.
More information about the Accreditation scheme can be found here.
Sarah Hardy, Director of the De Morgan Museum said: “Achieving Accreditation for the first time at its new Museum is a huge milestone for the De Morgan Foundation, especially considering it is a tiny, independent charity which receives no Government funding and has only myself as a member of staff. This accolade has provided a solid foundation on which to build our future plans. Being awarded Accreditation status demonstrates to the public that we are working hard to care for and promote this unique collection in perpetuity. I hope that everyone in Barnsley will be very proud to count De Morgan as their new local museum.”
Liz Johnson, Director Museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted that the De Morgan Museum has been successful in gaining their Accreditation status. This means that their Collections will be looked after and maintained offering inspiration, enjoyment and learning for the local community and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.”
