Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

After local government reorganisations in the 1970's Calderdale encompassed art galleries and museums that include Bankfield Museum, Halifax Town Hall, Hebden Bridge Town Hall, Piece Hall Art Gallery and other establishments in the area. Thus in 1974, the Metropolitan Borough Council’s art collection was established the largest proportion of the artwork coming from the Smith Art Gallery. William Smith, a local Alderman and the first mayor of Brighouse started collecting pictures in 1870. He bought locally from exhibitions in Liverpool, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and on occasion from London. Hence a goodly proportion of the collection reflects the taste of the late Victorian period. A donation by the artist Richard Nicholson in 1941 added many fine paintings including the works by several local artists.

The Calderdale collection comprises works by John Atkinson Grimshaw, Marcus Stone, E. A. Hornel, Joseph Thors, Harry Fidler and Yeend King. The 20th century is represented with works by Jack Attree, Michael Ayrton, Alfred Walter Bayes, Peter Brook, Cecil Collins, Henry Inlander, Cedric Morris, Thérèse Lessore and Miles Balmford Sharp.