National Museums Liverpool Blog - publications

A manifesto in paint - Millais' Isabella

Visitors to the Lady lever will no doubt have missed that perennial favourite, Holman Hunt's The Scapegoat. The Walker, despite its positive embarassment of Pre-Raphaelite treasures, is definitely the richer for the return of Millais' Isabella; a painted manifesto of the aims of the Brotherhood itself.

The return of these and other gems makes it a perfect time to visit our three galleries, and not least because we're running something of a mini Pre-Raph festival to celebrate. Whether you're relatively new to the genre, or know your Williamson from your Rossetti, there's a gallery talk or tour for you, covering everything from an introduction to the Brotherhood to the crafting of a replica frame for The Scapegoat. Along with the forthcoming Edward Burne-Jones exhibition, and our extensive collection, there's a lot to see.

There are more details on our website, along with a link to our online shop where you can buy a copy of our new introduction to  the collection - Pre-Raphaelite Treasures at National Museums Liverpool - or pick one up in our gallery shop if you're visiting.

Get your copy before they sell out

And as if that wasn't enough, we've also got a weekend of special tie-in events. On Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 March Big Art will be holding special storytelling sessions and craft activities, all linked to the book. And as ever, the events are free. More details on our website.

A divine Clarice Cliff 'tea for two' set from Age of Jazz.

It's an eclectic selection and there are some great books, my personal favourites being 'When Time Began to Rant and Rage...' which is a fab book of Irish figurative work and totally worth a fiver,  Age of Jazz: British Arts Deco Ceramics as I'm a sucker for a deco teaset, and British Watercolours and Drawings from the Lady Lever's collection.

If you've still not got a John Moores catalogue then now is the time to buy one as they're reduced to £7.50. And if you buy it from the Walker shop you get the John Moores China version for free.

Galleries are fab places during the Christmas holidays. They're quiet, uplifting, not the television, and you leave feeling slightly virtuous before returning to the orgy of chocolate and booze that has been your diet for most of December. And in the case of our venues, they're totally free.

If you wander to the Walker this festive season to catch the John Moores Painting Prize before it closes on 6 January, you'll no doubt see the rather large and rather excellent prize winners from the John Moores China exhibition. These are just five of the 63 pieces from the Shanghai exhibition, all of which are featured in the Chinese exhibition catalogue. In the spirit of festive generosity we're giving away this Chinese catalogue for free to anyone who buys a copy of our own John Moores exhibition catalogue.

This offer is only available through the Walker shop (not our other venues or online shop) and is available on a 'while stocks last' basis.

John Moores Painting Prize 2012 catalogue

Just a reminder that time is short if you would like to win a copy of the John Moores Painting Prize 2012 catalogue. But these are not just any copies of the catalogue - they're signed by our esteemed patron, Sir Peter Blake.To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is join our e-newsletter list. No mess, no fuss.

And if you're thinking a catalogue would make a fine Christmas present, you'd be right. They can be purchased from our online shop (you're cutting it fine though - last UK posting for Christmas is today!) or from the Walker shop itself. Hard sell over.

Liverpool - the story of a city

If you've enjoyed your visit to the Museum of Liverpool (and who hasn't?) or can't make it to the Museum, then our latest book is worth a look.

Liverpool - the story of a city gives a whistle stop tour of the Museum's galleries (essentially a potted history of Liverpool), starting with the departure of the ice at the end of the last Ice Age, running through to the recent report on Hillsborough.

It celebrates the city and the millions who have inspired, thrived, created, fought, worked and lived here. It covers the Liverpool usuals (The Beatles, football, Grand National, slavery, the docks etc) plus many topics you may not immediately associate wth the city like the American Civil War, the world's first passenger railway and the humble cup of tea. There's lots of photos which make for a pleasant wander down memory lane for locals, and for visitors an introduction to the city Carl Jung described as 'the pool of life'.

You can purchase the book at the Museum itself or through our online shop. And at £9.99 it'll make a thoughtful yet affordable Christmas present.

Pauline Rushton with one of Mrs Tinne's many evening dresses.

If you missed the first episode it’s available on iPlayer until Friday 19 October, and episode two will be broadcast tonight. Our very own Pauline Rushton, curator of costume and textiles, will be featuring. She’ll be talking about the Tinne letters – around 1,000 letters which were sent between 1923-54 by the well-to-do Dr and Mrs Tinne to their son while he was off being educated. In the missives they regale their son with tales from home, with the servants featuring quite heavily, and not always in the best of lights. The letters are a fascinating insight into the sometimes fraught relationships between servants and their employers.

You may remember Mrs Tinne from the exhibition of her clothes held at the Walker in 2006. The collection features more than 700 pieces ranging from bathing suits and outdoor clothes to evening wear and accessories. Highlights of the collection can be found in the catalogue Mrs Tinne’s Wardrobe – A Liverpool Lady’s Clothes 1900-1940 which you can purchase from this very website. My personal favourites are the darling cloche hats. And if you fancy seeing the pieces in the cloth, as it were, you need only wait a few weeks as a display of the wardrobe opens at the Walker on 17 November.

The 'A Collector's Eye' catalogue

Just a few weeks to the opening of the next must-see exhibition at the Walker, 'A Collector's Eye: Cranach to Pissarro'. Old Masters like Rubens, El Greco, Delacroix and Cranach are included alongside Impressionists such as Pissarro and Sisley in a tour of five centuries of art.

If you can't make it to the exhibition, fancy doing a bit of reading in advance or just can't wait to visit, then the accompanying catalogue is for you. All of the exhibition works are featured, each with its own double page spread, and at £9.99 it's a snip at twice the price.

You can order your copy from our online shop, pick up one at either the Walker or Lady Lever Art Gallery shops, or if you're feeling lucky you could win a copy in our latest competition.

To enter just tell us the answer to this question using this contact form. (DON'T leave your answer as a comment - you won't be entered)

Q. The artist, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, is also known as...?

Competition closes at noon on Monday 14 February.

This Saturday (27 November) we'll be running a stall at the Winter Arts Market at St George's Hall in Liverpool city centre. As well as lots of information on our venues, events and exhibitions, and will also have a selection of our books to buy, ranging from exhibition guides to collection catalogues. The perfect Christmas present for the book lover in your life!

So if you'd like to try before you buy, or just fancy a festive fair, then pop along. It's open 10am-5pm. There's more on the market on their website. And if you can't make it along on the day there's always our online shop.

You might have already seen that on Thursday night (25 November) the 2010 John Moores Painting Prize winner, Keith Coventry, will be discussing his work with previous juror and independent art critic Sacha Craddock.

Both Keith and Sacha have kindly agreed to do a signing session after the event. Keith will signing copies of the JM2010 catalogue, and Sacha will be signing copies of the 2008 exhibition catalogue in which she features as a juror. Catalogues cost £9.95 and £5 respectively.

The event kicks off at 6pm in the Walker Art Gallery. Places are free but limited so call 0151 478 4697 to reserve yours.

If you can't make the event you can still buy (unsigned) copies of both catalogues in our online shop.