Location
Wrexham University
The Wrexham Art Treasures Exhibition of 1876, delivered by Peter Bolton
Wrexham’s recent cultural transformation is evident, but this lecture will discuss a relatively unknown story that shows how the past, future, and present collide through tradition, identity and a working-class appeal. Through the summer and autumn of 1876, Wrexham hosted the Art Treasures Exhibition, bringing to the town priceless works of art and antiquities, all housed in a purpose-built exhibition hall. This lecture will determine the motives behind this ambitious event, largely through an analysis of its main organisers and contributors. It will also consider just how successful it was in its main aims, namely, to bring culture to the town and enlightenment to a working-class population that was often characterised as preferring ale to art!
Attendees will learn about the origins and historical context of the Art Treasures Exhibition. Peter will explore the scope of the cultural artefacts on show, reaction to the event – from local, national and international press – its relative success, and attitudes towards the working classes of the town.
All are welcome with an interest in Wrexham, art, and Wrexham’s history and culture.
About the Speaker
Peter taught history at Wrexham University for almost twenty years, covering topics from the Roman period through to the Cold War. He is also keenly interested in Welsh history, especially the often-neglected history of the local area, and the role of culture throughout the ages. Peter was nominated for a Royal Historical Society Award.
Peter’s research centres on Wrexham and its Anglo-Welsh identity. With a focus on the upwardly-mobile middle classes of Wrexham who financed the venture, the aristocracy, who patronised it, and the working classes, who were its main target.
Please contact researchoffice@wrexham.ac.uk with any queries. If you cannot attend but would be interested in receiving the recording, please register and leave your email address in the correct box.