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  • Preserving and Exploring our Musical Heritage
    The Museum of Music History
  • The Museum of Music History
    Preserving and Exploring our Musical Heritage
Our Unique Collection

We care for tens of thousands of musical artefacts spanning several centuries. Our unique collection of musical material encompasses sheet music, portraits, photographs, concert, opera and ballet programmes, ephemera and illustrated title pages, books, periodicals, sculpture, instruments, recordings and personal archives.

All aspects of vocal and instrumental music are celebrated, from opera to popular music. We provide access to researchers by appointment and are always seeking to build partnerships with other museums and institutions, including those devoted to the other performing arts.

We welcome enquiries from any individual or public body seeking a secure location to which they can donate their historical collections and archival material.

View our Exhibitions

November 2023

Latest Exhibition

A gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to his second wife Marie Louise on the occasion of their marriage in 1810, the piano (no.7493) was completed by the Paris factory of Erard Frères on 9 October 1808.
October 2023

Previous Exhibition

Agnes Zimmermann achieved renown during the late Victorian era as an accomplished pianist, talented composer and skilled music editor.
Exhibition DateSubject
November 2023
Napoleon’s Piano
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October 2023
Agnes Zimmermann (1847-1925)
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August 2023
Samuel van Praag and the Bath City Band in 1889
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July 2023
William BYRD (b.London, c.1540; d.Stondon Massey, Essex, 4 July 1623)
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June 2023
Thomas IONS (1817-1857)
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May 2023
Louis-François-Philippe DROUËT
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Museum of Music History

We are gratefully accepting donations