68 ART GALLERY. 



A very gratifying result of the establishment of the Walker Art 

 Gallery has been its influence upon other cities and towns in the 

 United Kingdom. Following the example of Liverpool, 43 Art 

 Galleries, mostly under Municipal control, have been instituted since 

 1877 (see list appended). Of this number, 18 hold annual Exhibi- 

 tions. At the end of the Liverpool season a large number of works 

 are transferred to other towns where exhibitions are held, and by 

 these means additional facilities are afforded for the inhabitants to 

 educate themselves by visiting the local Galleries, and the artists 

 have a further opportunity of meeting with patrons among the 

 wealthy of the respective districts. Most of the Galleries are con- 

 ducted on similar lines to those of the Liverpool Gallery, and have 

 very closely followed its forms and regulations. The Committee 

 have at all times been willing to afford such information as might be 

 useful to other Municipalities which have undertaken the erection 

 of Galleries, both as regards construction, mode of lighting, material 

 and colour of Avails, with methods adopted for the hanging of 

 pictures. 



As regards the Liverpool Autumn Exhibition, the Committee have 

 every reason to feel satisfied at the eminently successful results of 

 their efforts to make it the most important in the Kingdom. Both 

 locally and nationally it is regarded as only second to the Royal 

 Academy itself, whilst as regards the artistic merit of the works 

 exhibited, it stands pre-eminent. Rising artists look to admission 

 to it as a recognition of their art status, and those who have " won 

 their spurs " are well pleased to avail themselves of the opportunity 

 of seeing their productions in well-lighted Galleries, and amidst the 

 most favourable surroundings. 



The large attendances at the Autumn Exhibitions (unprecedented 

 in the provinces) and the number of pictures sold, prove that the 

 public evince great interest in the annual collections thus brought 

 together for their advantage and art education. 



During the past season the daily admissions, by single payment, 

 numbered 61,816, in addition to 3,268 season tickets. Added to 

 those visiting the Exhibition by payment, there were 10,316 pupils 

 from the schools of all denominations, invited to inspect the collec- 



