Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum uses its collections to tell the story of Manchester as the world’s first industrial city.  We mainly collect objects that were made or used in the Manchester area.  We also hold archives relating to people and companies from the region.  We collect items from the present, as well as the past, in order to portray Manchester’s continuing story.

Our object collections range from familiar domestic appliances to unfamiliar manufacturing machinery and scientific instruments.  We also collect vehicles, office equipment, models, memorabilia, awards, architectural materials, archaeological finds and, occasionally, works of art.  Our collections of business and personal archives include minute books, letters, trade literature (such as catalogues and manuals), engineering drawings and photographs.  We also collect textile samples and pattern books, prints, paintings and audiovisual and sound recordings, including oral and video histories. 

We avoid collecting items, such as buses and canal boats, that are covered by a more specialised museum nearby.