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A painting of a busy industrial scene showing factories with many chimneys which have smoke billowing out of them. A waterway runs to the right of the picture with boats and a train travels over a viaduct. There are lots of people and horses and carts. A painting of a busy industrial scene showing factories with many chimneys which have smoke billowing out of them. A waterway runs to the right of the picture with boats and a train travels over a viaduct. There are lots of people and horses and carts.

Sheaf Works, Sheffield c.1850 © Sheffield Museums

Sheaf Works, Sheffield c.1850 © Sheffield Museums

City of Rivers

Fri 24 November 2023 - Sun 3 November 2024

Weston Park Museum

Sheffield is a city born from its rivers, sculpting the landscape and powering the industries that made it prosper.

 

Today, they're the arteries that flow through the urban sprawl, continuing to shape the character of the city and our lives in it. From vast reservoirs and cascading weirs to the brooks that trickle through our many green spaces, they also provide a home to a rich abundance of local wildlife.

City of Rivers brought together stories, objects, artwork, film and photography to chronicle Sheffield's relationship with its waterways. Drawing on contributions from people across the city, it reflected on our connections to them in our work, leisure time and our impact on the natural habitats they represent.

Find out more about the exhibition in this Now Then Magazine preview 

 

We worked with Screen Yorkshire to support students from Sheffield Hallam University to create a series of short films in response to the themes of the exhibition. Watch them here

This exhibition has now closed

Weston Park Museum

Western Bank

Sheffield

S10 2TP

A painting of a busy industrial scene showing factories with many chimneys which have smoke billowing out of them. A waterway runs to the right of the picture with boats and a train travels over a viaduct. There are lots of people and horses and carts.

Sheaf Works, Sheffield c.1850

© Sheffield Museums

Exhibition Highlights

  • An industrial city scape showing rooftops and a number of smoking chimneys. To the left of the painting is a river with a bridge crossing over it.

    Stanhope Forbes, Sheffield - River and Smoking Chimneys, 1915.

    © Sheffield Museums

  • Children in swimsuits play in a large outdoor paddling pool in a park on a sunny day. Adults watch and assist them from the poolside. In the background is grass and green trees.

    Image from Sheffield, England by J.P Lamb, Civic Information Service, 1956

    Ref YO8434, courtesy of Sheffield Libraries Archives and Information

  • A large river or canal winds through an industrial landscape with smoking chimneys. In the foreground a figure in a red jacket, white jodhpurs and a black top hat rides a horse along a bridleway. On the left of the painting livestock can be seen grazing in a green field.

    Artist unknown, Bridge and White Rails at Bridgehouses, Sheffield c.1840.

    © Sheffield Museums

  • An abstract depiction of a reservoir in blues, purples, browns and greens and the silhouette of birds in flight.

    Jackie Prachek, Underbank Reservoir.

    © the artist

  • A black and white historic photograph showing a young person stood on stepping stones across a river in a park. Another young person is stood on the footpath to their right, while two people in dresses stand on further kalong the path.

    Endcliffe Park stepping stones, date unknown.

    © Sheffield Museums

  • A painting showing a Victorian industrial cityscape. In the foreground, people on foot horses and carriages and steam vehicle cross a large bridge which spans a river. On the banks of the river is a large redbrick industrial building with smoking chimneys. Behind it are further industrial buildings and smoggy skies.

    Artist unknown, Sheffield from Lady's Bridge c1875

    © Sheffield Museums

  • A historic colour photographic postcard image of a pond in a park. On one side of the pond is a footpath and on the other side is a grassy area. In the distance there are a row of houses.

    The Dam, Whiteley Woods, date unknown. Image

    Sheffield Museums

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