Author: glasgowmuseums2018

A black and white photograph of a building in Miller Street, Glasgow, taken in 1909
Glasgow architecture, Merchants, Tobacco

The Tobacco Merchant’s House at 42 Miller Street

Nestled amongst imposing 19th and 20th century industrial and retail architecture on Miller Street in Glasgow’s Merchant City, sits an attractive little house, built in 1775.  42 Miller Street, now known as The Tobacco Merchant’s House, is remarkable for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that it survived the enormous industrialisation and commercialisation of Glasgow over the last two centuries. The house … Continue reading The Tobacco Merchant’s House at 42 Miller Street

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Cathkin House 1870
Glasgow architecture, Glasgow City Archives, Merchants

Cathkin House and Slavery

In 1870, James Maclehose published a volume of photographs entitled Old Country Houses of the Old Glasgow Gentry. The photographs were taken by Thomas Annan (1829 – 1887), and the text, by John Guthrie Smith and John Oswald Mitchell, catalogued the stories of the families who lived in them. Tom Devine has commented that “they were essentially uncritical hagiographies, silent on the slavery roots of … Continue reading Cathkin House and Slavery

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Image of a blue and white delftware punch bowl
Ceramics, Cotton, Industry and manufacturing, Merchants, Sugar, Tobacco

Drinking the fruits of enslaved labour

This ceramic bowl is known as ‘The Roberton Hunt’ bowl. It belonged to the members of an 18th-century fox hunt which took place twice a year in Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire. In 1771, the year the hunt was established, the club’s treasurer ordered four of these bespoke delftware bowls, customised with the club’s name. They were designed to be the right size for punch made from … Continue reading Drinking the fruits of enslaved labour

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Costumes and textiles, Cotton, Industry and manufacturing

Turkey Red and the Slave Economy

Turkey Red, a process of dying cotton a vibrant crimson, has an early history in Scotland that is tainted by its links to the transatlantic slave trade and its associated economy. The process was introduced to Glasgow in 1785 by George Macintosh and David Dale. Macintosh had previously established a cudbear dye works at Dunchattan, Glasgow, whilst Dale, who was involved in the cotton industry, … Continue reading Turkey Red and the Slave Economy

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Glasgow Museums Collection OG.1948.14.2
Art collecting, Merchants, Portraits and paintings, Tobacco

John Glassford’s Art Collection

John Glassford of Dougalston (1715 -1783) is famed for his success as a businessman, but few people know about his art collection. It was sold at auction at Christies on 23December 1786. The auction catalogue lists 139 paintings for sale. The collection was mostly made up of British, Dutch and French artists but there were also a few Italian paintings. He had three works by … Continue reading John Glassford’s Art Collection

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A Century of Style: Costume and Colour 1800-1899
Costumes and textiles, Cotton, Industry and manufacturing

The Black History of White Cotton Dresses

Glasgow Museums has some wonderful cotton dresses dating from the early nineteenth century. Fashion is often displayed in museums in terms of its aesthetics. Admired for its neoclassical elegance, the slim silhouette of the early 1800s is linked to ideals of reforms and new freedoms – whether from the political tyranny of the Ancien Régime after the French Revolution or the incorrectly-perceived physical constraints of late-1700s … Continue reading The Black History of White Cotton Dresses

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Erin Algeo at Glasgow City Archives
Glasgow City Archives, Video content

Making a Difference –  Erin Algeo’s research on Glasgow and Slavery

Erin Algeo is an American student who recently studied at Glasgow University.  During this time she attended talks on Glasgow and Slavery given by Dr Anthony Lewis, curator of Scottish History at the Mitchell Library, and wanted to become a volunteer. During her time with us Erin has been researching collections within the Mitchell Library, specifically 18th century Customs & Excise Books for Imports and … Continue reading Making a Difference –  Erin Algeo’s research on Glasgow and Slavery

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