Collections

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum has an extensive Research Library which is open to all bona fide researchers, by prior appointment.

Subject coverage reflects the interests of the Museum at all its sites. Hence, there is much material on the history of the iron and steel industry, coal and metal mining, bridge building and civil engineering, roads, railways, canals, brick and tile manufacture, pottery and porcelain manufacture, tile manufacture, the history of art and design, clay tobacco pipe manufacture, etc.

The social history of the East Shropshire Coalfield is also covered, as are such subjects as the history of Quakerism and Methodism in the area.

There is much on the Industrial Revolution nationally and internationally, and the Library houses one of the best collections on industrial archaeology, including material deposited by the Association for Industrial Archaeology and material on loan from the Historical Metallurgy Society.

Museology, heritage management and the tourism industry are also well represented.