Bradford District Museum & Galleries

Bradford District Museums & Galleries (BDMG)’s collections have developed over more than 150 years, even before a museum service existed in the district.  Early collections belonging to the Mechanics Institute and local amateur enthusiasts were collected from late 18^th through 19^th centuries.

In 1974, when the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council was established, the main museums of Keighley (founded 1899), Ilkley (1892) Cartwright Memorial Hall (1904) and Bolling Hall (1915) and the newly founded Bradford Industrial Museum (1974) were united as a single service. The new metropolitan district was serving a wider community. Each site was allocated as the districts site for a specific collection, Archaeology at Manor House, Ilkley, Art at Cartwright Hall, Natural Sciences and Social History at Cliffe Castle Museum, Social History at Bolling Hall, Industrial Collections at Bradford Industrial Museum.

Changes to the service since its founding have seen collections move to new sites with some of the Archaeology, including Egyptology, now on display at Cliffe Castle and social and workers history on display at the Industrial Museum. Bolling Hall now has more of a focus on the history of the hall itself and the families who have lived there.