Views and plans of the gallery
As planning for the gallery got underway, Layton traveled to see some of the great museums in Europe. In 1883 on the S. S. Gallia, sailing from New York City to Liverpool, Layton met the Scottish-born architect William Audsley. Five years later the Layton Art Gallery, designed by Audsley and his brother George, opened to great fanfare.
Layton explained at the opening how the plan for the gallery was created: Mr. Audsley showed me some very beautiful buildings he designed… I asked: Can we not have a building one story over a basement, about 80 x 100 feet, in the center of our ground that will look well? Mr. Audsley thought he could, and so we sketched out my idea, and in due time received the design for the present building.