"It was the inspiration and determination of one individual, the sugar magnate Henry Tate, which brought the Tate Gallery into being in 1897. In this first complete account, Frances Spalding assesses the impact of successive Directors and the changing place of the Tate in British cultural life. She draws on extensive archive materials, as well as interviews with past and present Directors, Trustees and staff to tell the story of the Tate."--Book jacket.