Museum of Science and Industry

The loading bay doors to Manchester’s most famous former nightclub have been newly acquired by the Museum and are amongst several items collected from the 1980s to the present day, featured in The Making of MOSI exhibition. The exhibition, which opens on 28 July, includes pieces which have been behind the scenes in Museum stores, such as a Jacquard loom which once wove fibreglass used in Concorde, and a replica electric chair used as part of an illusionist’s act at Belle Vue. There is also newly acquired scientific equipment from the pioneering Daresbury Laboratory and the Museum’s most expensive purchase - a 1909 Crossley limousine car that cost £55,000.

The Making of MOSI is a journey through 25 years of changes in Manchester’s science and industry, from the mine and printworks closures of the 1980s, through the final demise of the textiles and engineering industries and rise of the ‘Madchester’ music scene in the 1990s, to cutbacks in science in the 2000s, and ambitious plans for the Museum’s future expansion.

Pauline Webb, Collections Manager at MOSI said: “The last 25 years have seen huge changes in Manchester’s science and industry, as the city and region moves away from the core products of manufacturing and engineering, and into the service sector and creative industries. The Museum of Science & Industry is very much part of this story, as we are ourselves based in the original railway buildings which are part of Manchester’s industrial past, and our collections reflect the changes in Manchester’s economy. From the traditional looms of Manchester’s cotton mills to the lights of Sankey Soap nightclub, this exhibition is a fascinating glimpse into the story of Manchester’s most-visited museum and a reminder of just how much our city has developed in the recent past.” 

The Museum first opened at its current site, the former Liverpool Road station, on 15 September 1983. The station was built in 1830 as part of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, and is the oldest surviving passenger railway station in the world.

Yet the idea for a museum dates back much earlier. In 1965 a funding partnership was set up between University of Manchester, UMIST and Manchester City Council to create a museum of science and industry. The Manchester Museum of Science and Technology first opened in 1969 at the former Oddfellows Hall on Grosvenor Street, Chorlton on Medlock.

After Liverpool Road Station closed in 1975, plans began to move the Museum to this location, and after significant investment from Greater Manchester Council, the Greater Manchester Museum of Science and Industry opened on the Liverpool Road site in 1983.  Later this became The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, and in 2007 the Museum changed its name to MOSI.

The Making of MOSI-25th Anniversary Exhibition opens on Monday 28 July and runs until 4 January 2009. For more information, please visit the What's On information or visit the link below:

MOSI 25th Anniversary

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