Herbert Art Gallery and Museum (Coventry)
The Herbert is an outstanding Art Gallery and Museum in the historic city of Coventry.
Sir Albert Herbert, a successful machine tool manufacturer, founded the museum, and Sir Alfred Herbert laid the foundation stone. The gallery was designed by Anthony Herbert, and Sir Alfred performed the opening ceremony in 1960.
Here the story of Coventry's distinguished history is told, including the real Lady Godiva and her husband Earl Leofric, and the reason for the term "being sent to Coventry" (in the Civil War, the city was Parliamentarian, and Royalist prisoners were not spoken to).
Industry is not forgotten, particularly in the shape of cars and motorbikes, as well as ribbons. And of course also not forgotten is the terrible blitz that Coventry suffered, out of which rose Sir Basil Spence's wonderful new Coventry Cathedral.
There is a fine collection of art, including work by such luminaries as Jacob Epstein, Barbara Hepworth, Bernard Leach, L. S. Lowry, Ben Nicholson, John Piper, Stanley Spencer, Graham Sutherland and J. M. W. Turner.
And there is a fascinating collection of depictions of Lady Godiva.