Bullock’s Museum, Piccadilly

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This print was first published in Rudolph Ackermann's monthly magazine or periodical ‘The Repository of Arts’ (also the name of the premises of his publishing business on the Strand). In 1816 Ackermann reissued the magazine in volume form, as ‘Select Views of London’.

Bullock’s Museum, also known as the ‘Egyptian Hall’, was owned by jeweller and collector William Bullock. Originally from Plymouth, Bullock developed a passion for collecting items related to natural history, art and armour, which led to the foundation of his private museum in Liverpool in 1795. After moving to London in 1809, he opened the Liverpool Museum at 22 Piccadilly, reopening in a newly-commissioned building inspired by the design of an Egyptian temple on the same site in 1812. The museum contained some 15,000 objects and admission was one shilling, or one guinea for an annual ticket.

Bullock sold his collection in 1819 and converted the museum to an exhibition hall, which became the venue for a range of displays, art panoramas and performances. The building was demolished in 1905 and replaced by an office block (now 170-73 Piccadilly).

Places

England, London

Subjects

carriage, statue (as Subject), topography, townscape/cityscape, horse, man, woman, girl, railing, street, pavement, museum, window

Materials & Techniques

aquatint, coloured aquatint

Artist

British 19th century unknown

Title

Bullock’s Museum, Piccadilly

Date

published 1815-1816

Medium

Coloured aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Parker Gallery, March 1977

GAC number

12997