A remarkable collection of artworks that shine a light on the city's grand edifices, quirky nooks, hidden quarters, and modern architecture with equal affection and pride. From cotton mills – for this city was once the centre of textile manufacture – to classical composers and the successful careers of the Gallagher brothers, this is a city with a rich and diverse history. Its university, where Ernest Rutherford first split the atom in 1917, and established at the birth of modernity as we know it, features many 19th-century buildings and since 2004 has been the largest single-site university in the UK – hosting both the Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.