Following the Banner
21 April – 21 July 2007

This exhibition features historic banners of national importance from gallery Oldham's Social History Collection. These give us an insight into the pride of the late 19th and early 20th Century Oldhamers in their work, religious faith or political belief.

Eleven of these banners have just been restored with a grant of £140,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The grant also funded a brand new banner for Oldham made by local people working with artist Lynn Setterington.

Four magnificent trade union banners illustrate the many specialist trades within Oldham's cotton mills. A selection of religious banners show Oldham's strong tradition of church processions and walks, such as the annual Whit Walk.

There are banners that were carried by sveral campaigning groups including the Temperance Society and the Anti-Apartheid Movement and there's a rare example of a women's suffrage banner.

Exhibition launch: Saturday 21 April, free. At 2pm Vivian Lochhead, Senior Conservator at the People's History Museum, talks about her work restoring some of the banners on show.

Free exhibition talk: Wednesday 9 May, 1pm

Image: Failsworth methodists Walk, c 1930s.