Brighton’s Popular Pottery Gallery returns this July!

We are delighted to announce that one Brighton Museum & Art Gallery’s most popular and beloved spaces, Mr Willett’s Popular Pottery Gallery, is officially making its grand return this July. Following a temporary hiatus as part of our roof restoration work, the museum favourite is opening its doors once again, with exact reopening dates to be announced imminently.

The gallery offers a compelling, unfiltered and sometimes startling insight into political, social, and cultural history told entirely through British pottery. While there is plenty of humour to be found across the exhibits, the collection also captures the raw reality of the past, confronting serious historical subjects like massacres, slavery, and murder.

The collection itself is a testament to the quirky, independent, and unconventional spirit of Brighton, largely thanks to its creator, Henry Willett (1823 to 1905). As a founding father of Brighton Museum, Willett did far more than just fund its spaces. He actively shaped the unique identity that the institution still holds today.

A powerhouse of Victorian energy and a successful local businessman who ran the West Street Brewery, Willett bucked the trends of his era. While other wealthy collectors only cared about expensive, elite foreign porcelain, Willett did the exact opposite. He realised that the everyday cups, plates, and ceramic figures bought by ordinary people from street sellers and country fairs were essentially the “social media” of the 19th century.

By collecting the items regular people actually kept in their homes, Willett captured their real, unfiltered stories, reflecting their heroes, political beliefs, and daily struggles. Gifted to Brighton in 1903, the display honours his pioneering vision, grouping these fascinating storytelling objects into the 23 distinct themes he first created.

The final re-opening date will be released early next week, so stay tuned!