Exhibitions and galleries

How the magnificent John Rylands Library got its electricity is a fascinating look at the growth of 19th century Manchester, early electricity developments, and may even hold lessons for more sustainable power in our future.

Zap away the post Christmas blues and power up your 2019 with our Top 10 electricity-themed songs, inspired by our Electricity: The spark of life exhibition.

As 2018 draws to a close, we take a look back at your favourite blog posts this year. 

Here’s a question you probably haven’t been asked: in a game of museum object charades, how would you act out an ornate 19th century glass lamp shade?

Curator of Engineering Sarah Baines takes a look at the innovative thinking of James Joule, whose ideas on heat and energy were initially thought to be so revolutionary they were rejected by the scientific establishment.

Consultant curator Paul Bonaventura talks about the thinking behind the amazing artworks that were specially commissioned for Electricity: The spark of life.

Years of work by curators, archivists and designers go into making each of our exhibitions a reality—but very few people have the chance to speak to them in person about the ideas behind each show. 

We take a look at the work our conservation team did with two of the more unusual objects in our Electricity exhibition, the electric eel and the red phonebox.

Ben Ingham, from power network operator Electricity North West, shares the key innovative kit that keeps power flowing.

To celebrate the 189th anniversary of the Rainhill Trials, let’s take a look at how the names of the engines captured the spirit of the era, and how what you call something continues to shape how we think of the past and the future.

What does it take to create stunning images from behind the scenes at a museum?

One of the most poignant objects to be added in to the textiles gallery is a tiny pair of leather children’s clogs dating from around 1870.