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GLASGOW
IART GALLERY AND MUSEUM. KELVINGROVE.‘5”3UZU. .\lon Sat
lilarn- 5pm;Sun 3 5pm. Disabled access. (ale.
Known to most people simply as
‘ls'ely ingroy e'. this combined art gallery and museum is one of the most action-packed museums in Scotland. ()pciied ill I‘m] from tundstrom (ilasgow ‘s first international eshilntion ill lShS. it has been much-loy cd and used by (ilasgow citi/cns Almost despite its Victorian splendour and scnscor architectural drama. it has a ti iendlincssol .itniospherc that has made it one of the city 's most visited publicspaccs li\hthits cos er the full range from natural history to weaponry . but there is a strong emphasis on art and design with a special '( ilasgow Stylc‘ gallery . eoyetable jewellery anda collection of paintings w hieh includes the conlrm crsial Saly ador Dali ‘( ‘hr N of St John on the ( toss and a wonder tul collection of Scottish paintcrsof the past and present.
Past and Present 35 Star to April. Drawingsby cottlcittpot'aty artistsattcr ()ld .\lastcts
George Braque l 3.‘ .'\[‘lil. Illustrationsto pocmshy .-\pollinairc
I BURRELL COLLECTION l’ollok ( ~ountt'y
: a. ‘3
ARRY McDDUGALL
Head of Restoration Workshop, Museum of Transport, Glasgow: lthlnk everybody in the museum is pleased about the move to the Kelvin Hall. The new space ls much brighter and warmer than Albert Drive, and it’s reflected in the attendance figures. Now we’re getting around 1 million visitors a year, compared with ball that llgure in the old museum. The thing people forget about us is that we’re not just the Museum of Transport, we're also the Department of Technology. Because of our space limitations, we can't collect any more trams or cars. but what we do collect more than ever are the smaller pieces of technology— cameras, sewing machines, weights and measures.
l have four members of stall in the restoration workshop and each one is involved with their own individual projects. At the moment these include restoring a 1910 car and a 1947 motorbike. The job I got most pleasure from was restoring a 1914 French Army Stall car- a Schneider. Beautiful machine, that was.
t
Rothesay Primary School, alter a visit to the Education Museum at Scotland Street School, Glasgow:
= Walking through the gates of an old
school, it feels funny to be where you don’t really belong. It is so strange. The corridor is filed, cold and our voices echo as we speak. The noise of our feet clatter as we climb up the
E stairs to the cloakroom. The cloakroom is small and there are rows of skirts and
pinalores. Getting changed is weird. We
I suddenly go back 83 years. Now I am
beginning to feel as il l was born in 1895. When we walked into the classroom I had to sit in the front row as we had been put in order of height and I was second smallest. When the teacher came in looking stern we had to stand. The day began with prayer. The register was taken and we had to reply ‘Yes Ma’am'. It was so strange.
large plump Buddha. the Roman cockerel and .loseph ( ‘raw hall‘s exquisite watercolours.
300 Years of Embroidery limit 28 May. Selection from the collection of the Izmbroiderers ( iuild.
I CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSI‘I SOCIETY ()ucen's ( ‘ross. S7tl (iarscube Road. 946 ()(illlllii' 50595. Ring bell for entry.
This wonderful church under restoration is
the headquarters of the Mackintosh Society . a group dedicated to promoting the name and works of ( ilasgow‘s most lamous architect. The stained glass window s with their green and purple detail (Mackintosh colours) have just recently been renoy ated.
I HAGG'S CASTLE Hill St Andrew 's Drive. 42" 3735. Mon Sat litam-fipmSun
3 5pm.
(‘rcated ltiyears ago. fhisisachildren‘s museum but rather different from the ladinburgh one w hich has a larger and more comprehensiv e collection. This house in a suburban street on the south side is more geared towards activitiesand children's workshops. There is a Victorian nursery and loth century kitchen to look at ll you (list want tovisit.
I HUNTERIAN ART GALLERY lfniy ersity' of (ilasgoyy . S: llillhead Street. 33‘) 8855. Mon l-‘rillfitlain-Spni. Sat‘).3ttam—lprn. Disabled access.
A uniyersity art collection of repute. the llunterian has the second largest holding of \‘v'histlers in the world. a good Scottish showing. nearly 20.000 artists's prints tracing the history of art and of coursethe Mackintosh holise (closed between 12.30 and l .31 lpm. Slip admission). With its geometric bedroom and white drawing room this last is quite a treasure. Mackintosh Cabinet Designs limit 15 April. I- rom simple stained pieces toelaborately' decorated w hite cabinets.
From McTaggart to Eardley limit 15 April. Watercolours from the gallery's Scottish collection.
I HUNTEHIAN MUSEUM L'niversitv of Glasgow". 339ss55. Mon—Fri ' 9.3tiam-5pm; Sat 9.3tlam— 1 pm.
The other half of the llunterian collection (founded last century by William l lunter) can be found through the quadrangle of uniy ersity. \‘ery rnucb a study collection as much as a public facility. the museum is particularly well-known for its collection of fossils (they have 3 4 million specimens l’ark. Zlioll l’ollokshaws Road. 649715]. Mon Sat litam- 5pm;SunZ—5pm. Disabled access. Cafe.
The Burrell is quite the most splendid
Drawing by Shirley Lloyd.
Then we had to recite the 2x table (forwards and backwards) - 2x12? There was mental arithmetic. We had to write on our states with a slate pencil. Hojotter and pencil. Duesttons around the class showed one girl did not know her sums so after being given the tawse she was put in a comer with the dunce’s hat on her head. It looked funny but scary.
modern museum around. Visited by millions since it opened in 1983. both building and collection seem invincibly uplifting no matter the weather. (ilass walls bring woodland into the galleries which house William Burrell‘s objects. A wealthy shipowner. Burrell was particularly fond of the decorative artsand here you can find some of the best. (‘hinese designs are blended with some of (ilasgow‘s past talents. Look out forthe kissing monkeys above the main door. the in their geology section) including the Bearsden shark. dinosaur footprints and a plesiosaurus skeleton. As l lunter was also an eminent doctor (one of the first gynaecologists) there is an anatomical collection which has its gruesome aspects. Coins. ehthnography and South Sea curiosities are just some of the other elements of this well-stocked museum. My Lite in Miniature L'mii 1 April. An exhibition of wood carvings by-Jusfus Akeredolu. a distinguished teacher of carving.
I MUSEUM FOR THE 602 (CITY OF GLASGOW) SDUADHDN. Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Hiltington, 882 6201. Wed, Fri 7.30-9pm and 1st Sunday of each month 2-5pm.
Near the Air Training Corp’s squadron of today, this small display commemorates the volunteer llyers who fought in the first air battle of the Second World War abovethe Firth of Forth in 1939. There's a pilot's ‘escape kit', a Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engine among the photographs, medals and uniforms.
I MUSEUM OF COSTUME at (‘amphill llouse. Queen‘s Park. 632 I350.
You'll have to wait till late 19‘)“. when it moves to the old Sheriff('ourt development in the city centre. to see this collection in its sartorial glory. As well as the new costume museum. the fashion complex intends to include shops. designer workshop and other design services. The costume collection as it stands is made up mostly of clothes from the west coast's middle classes dating back to the 18th century. Embroidery isalso highlighted in the 1200M soitemswhich make up the collection. ‘Ayrshire White' and work from (ilasgow School of Art isol particular interest. (‘ontact the curator for more details or appointments for special view’in !.
I MUSEUM OF EDUCATION Scotland Street School. 225 Scotland Street. 42‘) 1202. Viewing by appointment only at the moment. Publicopening hours planned. Phone for details.
()pened in With. this (‘harles Rennie Mackintosh building now rests quietly under the hum of the motorway until school groups suddenly take a classroom or two back to the hustle which it wasbuilt for. ('losed only ten years ago due tolack of pupils. the school is now part of (ilasgow 's District .\lttseum sery ice and runs a busy education programme w ith west coast schools. ’1 he museum isalso open for research purposes.
I MUSEUM OF CINE EQUIPMENT Scottish l‘ilm Council. 7-1 Victoria Crescent. l)owanhill. 33-1 93H. lly appointment only.
This small collection for film bullsand students only . contains hand-cranked cameras. magic lantern and l‘iltt‘s film units. The film ( 'ouncil also base a \ ast collection of old lilms. most of them documentary . which relate to Scotland. l’hone them for further details.
I MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT Kelvin l lall.
l Bunhouse Road. 357 303‘). Mon-- Sat lllam 5pm;Sun 3 5pm. Disabled access. ('ale.
The red and grey home of ( ilasgow's collection of cars. trains and the humble bicycle was completed last year replacing what has now become a new venue for theatrethc Tramway. In the car
r- 1-- ‘2'
a
Mas CAMPBELL, com: AND SMITH
Hunterfan Art Gallery, Glasgow. These three are the cleaning staff for both the Hunterian and the Mackintosh House in Glasgow, so they don’t often have time to ‘park their backsides’. Even itthey did, it wouldn’t be on a straight-back Mackintosh chair: ‘no very comfy hen, but nice tae look at.’
Having worked with Glasgow University lorthirteen years, Mrs Campbell is in with the bricks. It took a week to put that first shine on the gallery floor, after which some dozy builder dumped halt a ton of sand on it. Luckily forthe Hunterian, instead of just resigning, she just put on her overall and started again.
It comes as no revelation that Charles Hennie‘s furniture is a bitch to clean, but they like the work. The Mackintosh House is viewed with a certain reverence; Mrs Coyle says a ritual good morning to ‘Charlie’s picture’ with a curt nod to his wife, and one imaginative err-employee was directed to request Mr Mackintosh, it he ever ‘appeared', to ‘appear' when the Curator was available. Evidently, there are questions only he can answer. (Laura Wilson)
62 The List 24 March—6 April 1989