About the Collections

Here you can find out about the history of the collections and more information about accessing them.

Sheffield Museums cares for the city’s collections of art, archaeology, social and industrial history, and natural science, alongside the Guild of St George’s Ruskin collection. We operate Weston Park Weather Station in partnership with the Met Office and are home to the Ken Hawley Collection Trust’s Hawley Tool Collection, (find out more at www.hawleytoolcollection.com).

Sheffield’s collections have developed over 200 years and include over one million items. Originally formed through donations from the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society, established in 1822, these collections were the basis for Weston Park Museum when it opened in 1875. A bequest from John Newton Mappin subsequently provided the foundations for the city’s art collection, later complemented by J G Graves’ generous gifts between 1929 and 1943.

The industrial collections and sites followed, with Shepherd Wheel opening as a museum in 1962, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet opening to the public in 1970 and Kelham Island Museum commencing operations in 1982. The collections have grown substantially over the last 150 years through further bequests, donations, depositions and purchases, guided by the passion of successive curators and shaped by people who live in Sheffield.

Sheffield’s collections are locally, nationally and internationally significant, with the Metalwork collection Designated by Arts Council England for its importance. We work collaboratively to use these collections to inspire and enrich people’s lives. Today, we work with the communities we serve to continue to develop and grow the collections. Together, we strive to ensure they are relevant to and representative of the city and its people, and help us to understand each other and the world we live in.

As custodians of a historic collection, we’re conscious that some of the objects in our care were not originally acquired ethically or legally. Today, we work collaboratively and proactively to research and reinterpret the collections through multiple perspectives and voices, and where appropriate, return material to its source communities.

More information on what we collect, how to donate objects and how to access the collections can be found below.

Using the Collections

Sheffield Museums cares for the city’s collections of art, archaeology, social and industrial history, and natural science. The collection is continuously developing, largely through the generous donations of individuals and organisations.

We consider all offers of donations based on their individual significance, relevance to the city or collection, display potential, history / provenance, possible future use and condition. We also consider whether the item will help tell a story which is currently underrepresented in the collection or if we already have similar examples. Each area of the collection has different collecting priorities and these are outlined in our Collections Development Policy, which you can find on our Policies and Plans page.

To get in touch about potentially donating an object to the collection, please use the enquiry form on the Contact Us page – just select the Collections theme you think is most relevant.

If you would like to use an image of an artwork or object in the collection, please get in touch using enquiry form on the Contact Us page – just select the Collection theme you think is most relevant. The reproduction of images maybe subject to charges, please contact us for more information.

You can also use Bridgeman Images to find images of Sheffield’s collection – visit their website: bridgemanimages.com

You can purchase prints of artworks from Sheffield's collection through Art UK – visit their website: shop.artuk.org/marketplace

Sheffield Museums regularly lends artworks and objects to other venues including art galleries and museums locally, nationally and internationally. We also undertake projects with universities, schools and community organisations to broaden access to the collection.

We assess our loans according to the impact they will have, the significance of the exhibition or display, whether the item is currently on show and the potential audience we can reach. We also consider the environmental conditions and security of the venue.

If you would like to submit a loan request to borrow an artwork or object from the collection, please email visual@sheffieldmuseums.org.uk

We answer over 3000 collection enquiries every year, from providing data about the weather and facilitating family history research to supporting community research and enabling academic study.

Our aim is to make all museum objects, archive material and collections information available for public enquiries and research. We are committed to providing access to Sheffield’s collections wherever possible.

To request access to or information about the collections, please get in touch through the enquiry form on the Contact Us page – just select the Collection theme you think is most relevant.

For weather data requests or enquiries about Weston Park Weather Station, please email natural@sheffieldmuseums.org.uk