CityLife

Gallery's portrait of black Britain

AWARD-winning television presenter Moira Stuart dropped in at Manchester Art Gallery to see an exhibition about the largely forgotten history of black people in Britain in the 19th century.

Black Victorians is a groundbreaking display of more than 100 paintings, prints and photographs by artists such as William Holman Hunt, Edward Burne-Jones, David Wilkie and Albert Chas Challen.

Moira Stuart made 20th century history as the first black news presenter and was voted one of 100 Great Black Britons in a national poll.

She also featured in the TV programme "Who Do You Think You Are?" in which she discovered her ancestors included both a slave and a slave owner.

Among portraits in the exhibition are one of Britian's first professional black footballer, Arthur Wharton of Preston North End and H. Masha Kantish, the last slave to be freed.

The exhibition runs at the Manchester Art Gallery until January 8. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm. Free. Call 0161 235 8888.