Sir William Barber, 1st Baronet

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Sir William Henry Barber, 1st Baronet (9 November 1860 - 2 July 1927) was a wealthy property developer and solicitor who made his fortune expanding Birmingham's sprawling suburbs, when the rapid industrial development of the Black Country Capital in the Gründerzeit took place.

He was married with Martha Constance Hattie Barber. By his mid-thirties the couple retired but their connections with the city remained strong. In 1924 William Barber received a baronetcy for 'Political Services to Birmingham'.

After his death, his widow Lady Barber founded the famous Barber Institute of Fine Arts in memory of her husband. It was bequeathed to the University of Birmingham for the study and encouragement of art and music. Lady Barber's inheritance was also dedicated to the Institute and was used to expand the collection and fund the construction of a new building: the Grade II listed building of art deco architecture was designed by Robert Atkinson and opened in 1939 by Queen Mary.