Lady Lever Art Gallery. © National Museums Liverpool
The Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight Liverpool is to get a new gallery that celebrates the collecting zeal of its founder, soap magnate and industrialist William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme.
Lever the Collector opens in July 2008 and will take visitors into the world of a hugely successful industrialist who spent vast amounts of money buying artworks for himself and the nation.
Over his lifetime, Lever (1851-1925) amassed an astonishing 20,000 works of art. Many filled his numerous homes and the very best – more than 12,000 items ranging from ceramics and sculptures to furniture and paintings – later formed the collections in the Lady Lever.
“These collections are amazing and of international status,” said Sandra Penketh, head of the Lady Lever, “particularly the Wedgwood jasperware, Victorian paintings and English 18th century furniture.”
“Lever the Collector tells visitors the fascinating story of Lord Leverhulme as an art lover. We also look at the personality of this remarkable man who had boundless energy and incredible self-discipline.”
The son of a successful Bolton grocer, Lever went on to found the world’s first multinational corporation with factories throughout the world. His art collection started in a small way but grew into a passion rivalling his huge enthusiasm for business.
The new gallery will take visitors through the beginning of this story, his passion for collecting and the houses he built around Britain to house his collections. The story of how he built the Lady Lever Art Gallery, in the middle of Port Sunlight Village so his workers could enjoy beautiful, well-crafted and inspiring art is also covered.
