Artefacts of Excavation

The roots of the institution lie in private intellectual and scientific societies, the Bristol Institute for the Advancement of Science and Art, the Bristol Literary and Philosophical Society (in 1823) and the Bristol Library Society in 1871 which resulted in 1872 of a museum and library opening. By 1894, the association transfered title to the municipality,  after financial difficulties. In 1905, a new building was opened and the antiquities were tranfered from the natural history collection to reside with the fine art. The museum hold collections in fine and decorative art, natural history, archaeology, geology.