The collection was built up slowly from 1903 through gifts and purchases using money from the rates. From 1921, an annual grant from the Massey Bequest Fund allowed the collection to grow more quickly with an average of two or three oil paintings bought each year for the next 40 years.Today there are over 300 oil paintings in the collection, the acquisitions being evenly divided between gifts and purchases plus around 20 paintings transferred from Burnley Central Library and Padiham Museum in the 1970s.
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