Trustees

Scope and content:

Constitution and legal status, 1856-1990;

legal documents, 1893-1949;

Board minutes, 1890-2000;

Board agendas and papers, 1963-1990;

general correspondence, 1940-1988;

correspondence with individual trustees, 1927-1998;

publications, 1954-1996;

National Gallery Trustees, 1963-1984.

See file level

The Tate Gallery was opened in 1897 as the National Gallery of British Art. There was no separate Board of Trustees for the new Gallery which was administered by the existing Board of Trustees of the National Gallery. There was no separate Director. The senior officer of the Gallery was designated Keeper and reported to the Director of the National Gallery.

A Treasury Minute of March 24th 1917 constituted a separate Board of Trustees with authority to acquire British paintings produced within a limit of 100 years before the date of acquisition and British drawings and sculpture of any period. The Board was to supervise the management, administration and discipline but financial matters remained subject to the control of the Accounting Officer for the National Gallery vote.

The Director of the National Gallery and Keeper of the Millbank Gallery (now designated Director) were ex-officio members of the Board. Three Trustees of the National Gallery were also to be members.