Cooper Gallery, Barnsley Art Print

Dating back to the 1600s the building was originally a school house built by Thomas Keresforth. In 1912, it was purchased by Samuel Joshua Cooper when its occupants moved premises. His intention was to provide an art gallery for the people of Barnsley and somewhere to place his own art collection for all to freely enjoy. Sadly, Samuel died in 1913, just a year before the opening of the Gallery in 1914. Before his death he had arranged for a board of Trustees to establish and maintain the Gallery and the collection of 275 paintings and drawings. Today, Cooper Gallery maintains a permanent art collection that ranges from the 17th to 20th centuries and contains over 400 works, including those originally gifted by Samuel Cooper.