Aberdeen City Council Museums and Galleries Collections Development Policy: Appendix A

Appendix A: COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN: Collection Descriptions

1. REASON AND PURPOSE FOR COLLECTING Our collection connects ’s unique past, present and future, inspiring and empowering our communities to love their own culture and sharing that pride with the wider world. For us connection is key to understanding and developing our collections: • Connecting audiences with objects, sites and stories • Connecting objects with people, places and processes • Connecting the past with the future of Aberdeen and its place in the world • Connecting the themes and specialisms within our collection

We have exported inspirational people and products to the world; and brought the best of the world to our hearths. We will continue to create an inspirational collection that reflects our city of Aberdeen and its place in the world as a creative, industrial, social and artistic centre, raising the profile of Aberdeen and north east Scotland.

2. ART COLLECTION - OVERVIEW Around 1880, he embarked on a project to Even in its Victorian beginning, the founders collect artists’ portraits, supplying uniformly of Aberdeen Art Gallery looked to their sized canvases for the purpose. His wife contemporaries when choosing works to continued this collection after her husband’s collect. This interest in collecting recent work death. It contains a total of 93 artists’ has remained true to the intentions of its portraits. Besides bequeathing his impressive original benefactors throughout the Gallery’s collection to the city, Macdonald’s will also history. The collection has grown thanks to demanded that the art gallery building should purchases, gifts and bequests as well as be finished within three years of his death. external financial support. This accelerated the process so that the first phase of the building opened in 1885.The new Many of the early driving forces behind the chairman of the gallery committee, James creation of Aberdeen Art Gallery helped Murray, donated some grand Edwardian and enrich the collection through financial late Victorian works to the collection, bequests or by donating works they had including one of our star works, John Lavery’s collected privately. John Forbes White, a flour Tennis Party. A collection of plaster casts mill owner, was central to organising assembled at the start of the 20th century was exhibitions in the Gallery in the 1870s and intended to inspire granite carvers and 1880s. He was interested in the Realism of the students at Gray’s School of Art. Barbizon and The Hague schools, and supported Scottish artists who were Decorative arts and design have been of experimenting with this new style. He interest since the Gallery’s beginnings. A generously lent works from his private significant donation of (from one of collection, many of which eventually made White’s relatives) joined the textile collection their way into the collection. Granite in 1927, but the pursuit of decorative arts merchant and art collector Alexander truly blossomed in the mid-20th century, with Macdonald was instrumental in the creation a large donation from James Cromar Watt of Aberdeen’s Art Gallery. Sharing White’s including his own jewellery designs as well as admiration for their contemporaries, his collection of oriental pieces). The Macdonald only bought works by living artists momentum of a move initiated in the 1960s and strived to establish friendships with them.

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to acquire local metalwork endures to this indispensable support of organisations such day. as the National Fund for Acquisitions, the Art Fund, the Contemporary Art Society and the The Art Gallery also continued collecting fine Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as well as art during the Second World War and the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery. immediately after. During this time, the art gallery benefited from sizeable donations of 3. DECORATIVE ART British modernist works through the War Artists’ Advisory Committee and a purchase of This is a diverse and comprehensive several works from the Sickert Trust. Collector collection covering all aspects of applied Rex Nan Kivell gave over 200 modern British and decorative art; design, craft, costume wood engravings in 1951. The Rt. Hon. and textiles. The prime collecting areas Gertrude Forbes-Sempill contributed a are ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, collection of significant early 20th-century costume and textiles which includes landscapes in 1955. In 1959 we received two Scottish, British and International work. major donations of works by James McBey An extensive contemporary craft which have since allowed us to accumulate collection has been developed, and is now the world’s biggest archive of his work. recognised as one of the most important of its kind in Britain. Participation in the Further important donations followed, National Collecting Scheme for Scotland through the division of Joan Eardley’s works has enriched the collection with by her sister Pat Black and through the important acquisitions of contemporary collecting efforts of director Ian McKenzie- metalwork. Smith, who is also an abstract painter. The Scottish Arts Council Bequest from 1997 expanded our collection of contemporary art, INTERIOR DECORATION particularly prints. The same year, efforts to 3.1. CLOCKS - This section comprises of a build up a collection of Fraserburgh-born small collection of timepieces fashion designer culminated in the including examples of 17th, 18th and purchase of an archive of his drawings with 19th century mantle, wall and the support of the National Fund for longcase clocks. Assistance from the Acquisitions, the Art Fund and the Friends of National Fund for Acquisitions has Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums. Several greatly enhanced the representation important donations enriched our ceramic of 20th century clocks in our holdings. collections in the 1990s, including the flat back figures from the Catherine Fleming 3.2. FURNITURE - Domestic, ecclesiastical Collection, or the Cochrane Collection of and civic furniture are represented porcelain which was acquired in in 1995 with within this section. the assistance of the National Art Collections 3.3. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - a very Fund. small group of 18th, 19th and 20th century keyboard and stringed A donation of 10 contemporary artworks by instruments are represented within the Saatchi Gallery came in 2000. In 2012, the our holdings. extensive archive of three dimensional objects including sundial and books, prints and memorabilia by Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener, Ian Hamilton Finlay was 3D DESIGN donated to the gallery by Joyce Laing (OBE). 3.4. CERAMICS Contemporary holdings of decorative and fine 3.4.1. Miscellaneous Domestic Ceramics - art have been enhanced through the National General domestic and commercial Collecting Scheme for Scotland and the wares of local significance are held within this section.

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collection of Venetian glassware and 3.4.2. European Ceramics - This section the Vaughan collection of Monart comprises representative examples and Vasart glass. There are groups of from the major continental European Art Nouveau and Art Deco porcelain factories, including glass and key examples of Meissen, Vienna Porcelain Factory, contemporary Scottish glass. Tournai and Sevres. 3.6. JEWELLERY 3.4.3. British Ceramics - This section 3.6.1. Jewellery - Jewellery includes a good comprises representative examples mixed media group of material from the major English porcelain including precious metals, resins and factories, a group of 1920s and 30s plastics, gemstones, cameos, British Studio Pottery presented by costume and mourning jewellery the Contemporary Art Society, the from 17th century to the present Robinson-Young Collection of Art day. There is strong collection of Pottery and the Cochrane Collection Victorian local and Scottish of British and Continental porcelain. jewellery, including clan badges, There is a small group of ceramics granite brooches and Scottish semi- designed by artists, which includes precious gemstone work. There is a work by Scottie Wilson, Eric small, but significant group of Arts Ravilious and Bruce McLean. and Crafts jewellery including Examples of British 20th century enamel and jewellery work by the factory wares have been acquired, Aberdeen born James Cromar Watt including pieces designed by Gordon (1862 – 1940). Aberdeen Art Gallery Mitchell Forsyth, Susie Cooper and & Museums now holds the best Clarice Cliff and key factories such as collection of designer jewellery in Shelley, Denby and Hornsea. The Scottish local authority museums, Scottish historic collection includes with recent acquisitions of examples of transfer print wares, outstanding work by international spongeware, hand-painted wares, makers. The jewellery collection work from the East Coast includes silversmith drawings and (particularly Wemyss) and ephemera. potteries and Aberdeen’s Seaton Pottery. 3.6.2. Portable Accessories - This collection includes pill boxes, vinaigrettes, 3.5. GLASS scent bottles, hand mirrors and 3.5.1. Miscellaneous Domestic Glass - This other accessories. section includes examples of commercial glassware such as 3.6.3. Watches - We have a small lemonade and ink bottles, and collection of 19th and 20th century stained glass panels are also pocket watches in the collection. acquired. Purchases funded by the National Fund for Acquisitions have allowed 3.5.2. British and Continental Glass -There us to collect contemporary is a mixed collection of British and timepieces by Gordon Burnett and Continental glassware from the 17th Marianne Forrest. century to the present day, illustrating the development of 3.7. METALWORK stylistic techniques and decoration. 3.7.1. Domestic Silver - British domestic Strengths lie in 18th century British hollowware and flatware from the drinking glasses, the Cromar Watt 17th century onwards are included.

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Strengths lie in outstanding famous North East born designer, Bill examples of North East of Scotland Gibb. silver and the study collection of Aberdeen silversmiths’ hallmarks. 3.11. Historic Costume 3.11.1. Historic Costume - The 3.7.2. 20th-21st century Metalwork - There Costume collection contains historic is a growing collection of early 20th dress and accessories for adults and century metalwork and enamelling, children, from the 1770s to present featuring important work by Arts day. The collection mainly comprises and Crafts designers. Participation in middle class dress, with the the National Collecting Scheme for emphasis on clothes worn, Scotland has greatly enhanced the purchased or retailed in the local representation of contemporary area. There is a group of metalwork, making it the strongest occupational costume relating to collection of its kind in Scotland. local industries and trades, uniforms and regalia from local schools, 3.8. CRAFT regiments, societies and clubs, and 3.8.1. Historic Asian Craft - The collection civic robes. Notable acquisitions includes a significant group of Asian include the Peggy Walker Gift, Joan artworks, including the James Burnett Collection, Stewart Cromar Watt bequest of Chinese Collection of children’s clothing, and lacquer, carvings in ivory, semi- two collections of costume and precious stone and wood, bronzes, accessories worn locally by Mrs. F. and cloisonné enamel. Japanese Farquharson of Invercauld and Mrs. netsuke and okimono are also Hamilton of Skene. represented. 3.11.2. Costume Accessories - 3.8.2. Other Craft - This collection Costume accessories are well comprises of a broad mixed media represented in the collection, and collection including leatherwork, include; footwear, bags, shawls, papermaking, lapidary, basketry, hats, gloves and stockings. and woodworking and wood specialities such as marquetry and 3.11.3. Costume Ephemera - pyrography. The strength of the Catalogues, photographs, collection lies in its high-quality work magazines, sewing patterns, with a Scottish emphasis. postcards and press cuttings are included in the collection. Packaging and ephemera connected with local FASHION AND TEXTILES costume, fashion shops, dressmakers, tailors and milliners 3.9. Fashion Design have also been acquired, along with 3.10. The collection holds work by eminent photographs recording local people designers including Laura Ashley, in fashionable and occupational Marion Donaldson, Kaffe Fassett, dress. Mitzi Lorenz and Bill Gibb. The Bill Gibb Collection is a nationally 3.12. Textiles significant collection of over 100 3.12.1. Historic textiles - This is a garments and is complemented by an relatively small collection comprising archive of 2460 fashion sketches, Scottish , , working drawings and notes by the lace, samplers and beadwork from the early 19th century onwards.

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Needlework accessories and tools along with dressmaking and patterns form part of this collection. Notable acquisitions include The Harrower Bequest of Continental and British Lace dating from mid- 17th century, examples of local New Pitsligo lace and the collection of dressmaking tools and teaching aids donated by the Robert Gordon University.

3.12.2. Miscellaneous Domestic Textiles - There is a group of household and domestic textiles and furnishings, and a collection of local Trade Union banners.

3.12.3. Modern and Contemporary Textiles – There is an important collection of 20th century textile hangings and Scottish tapestry, which has been significantly enhanced by the Scottish Arts Council Bequest 1997.

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4. FINE ART is represented, along with Ben Nicholson and Winifred Nicholson. Some of the best 4.1. 2D WORKS: PAINTINGS of Stanley Spencer’s work is in Aberdeen, The collection of British paintings dates including one of the Resurrection series. from the 17th Century to the present day. Both Gwen and Augustus John are Amongst the earliest are portraits by the represented in the collection. We also Aberdeen painter George Jamesone. have an outstanding work by Francis Portraits and a large view of Aberdeen by Bacon, Pope I – study after Pope Innocent William Mosman, along with portraits by X after Velasquez, and other works by Cosmo Alexander, represent the early several of his contemporaries, including 18th century. From 1750 onwards the Frank Auerbach, Keith Vaughan, Josef collection can count works by Allan Herman, Jankel Adler, Robert Colquhoun Ramsay, William Hogarth, Johan Zoffany, and Robert MacBryde. All of these artists Sir David Wilkie and Sir Henry Raeburn. were observers of the human condition, The mid 19th century is represented innovators exploring questions relating to through such works as Edwin Landseer's their own identity and belonging in the Flood in the Highlands, and a group of pivotal post-war period. Pre-Raphaelite works by John Everett There are also works by a number of local Millais, Edward Burne-Jones, William artists including James Cowie and James Holman Hunt, J. W. Waterhouse and McBey. Indeed, we have the largest Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Works also by the collection of James McBey’s works in the Glasgow Boys include John Lavery's The world. Tennis Party and Sir James Guthrie's To Pastures New. The Museum owns the New and emerging artists, such as Peter major part of William Dyce’s known oil Howson, Tim Ollivier, Trevor Sutton, Ken paintings, including the Italianate Currie, Alison Watt, Julie Roberts and Lamentation over the Dead Christ. John Kevin Harman, have recently been "Spanish" Phillip, a favourite artist of acquired. , is equally well The small but choice collection of French represented, both by his earlier Scottish paintings is of international importance, subjects and his later Spanish ones. including a portrait of a Scottish sitter on Aberdeen Art Gallery is exceptionally rich the Grand Tour by Jules Blanchet, a in paintings of the earlier 20th Century, French artist resident in Rome who also with works by Walter Richard Sickert and painted the Young Pretender and his artists of the New English Art Club and the brother. There are two flower pieces by Camden Town Group such as Phillip Henri Fantin Latour, seascapes by Eugène Wilson Steer, Harold Gilman, Robert Boudin and works by the Impressionists, Bevan and Lucien Pissarro. The Scottish Claude Monet, Pierre August Renoir, and Colourists, Samuel J. Peploe, F.C.D. Cadell, Alfred Sisley, in addition to Fernand Léger J.D. Fergusson and Hunter are each well and Marie Laurencin. represented as are other notable 20th Century Scottish artists, such as William The Gallery has paintings by notable Gillies, Robin Phillipson, Joan Eardley and members of the Hague School, including Ian Mackenzie Smith. Willem Roelofs, Alexander Gerrit Mollinger, the Maris brothers and Jozef We hold significant works by major artists Israëls. The last of these visited Aberdeen of the early modern British avant-garde, and had his portrait painted by Sir George including Wyndham Lewis, Edward Reid and two other Scottish artists, which Wadsworth, William Roberts and David are also in our collection. Bomberg. Paintings by the Bloomsbury Group include Vanessa Bell, Roger Fry More recent acquisitions by foreign artists Duncan Grant. British surrealist Paul Nash include a watercolour by Jules Bissier and

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a collage by the American Abstract by the end of the first quarter of the Expressionist Robert Motherwell. We century. have collected, for example, examples of The superb collection of French 19th contemporary Japanese art, such as that century paintings and sculpture is echoed by Chiho Aoshima, thus allowing by a small, but excellent holding of prints comparison with Scottish artists such as by Honoré Daumier, Pierre Auguste Kenny Hunter who have been inspired by Renoir, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, contemporary Japanese culture. Pierre Bonnard, Marc Chagall and the music hall scenes of Henri Toulouse- Lautrec. 4.2. 2D WORKS: DRAWINGS and WATERCOLOURS The Etching Revival of the latter part of the century is well represented, with Aberdeen has a very fine collection of work by Francis Seymour-Haden, James British watercolours including David Allan, Whistler, Walter Sickert, D. Y. Cameron, Paul Sandby, JMW Turner, William Blake, Muirhead Bone. Samuel Palmer, Miles Birket Foster, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Eric Ravilious, Wood engravings, which saw such Oskar Kokoschka and more recently John popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, are Piper and John Bellany. represented with over 250 prints. There are important Pre-Raphaelite Modern movements in printmaking, works, including examples of the specifically the rise in popularity of the watercolours by J E Millais and Edward screenprint, are reflected in work by Burne-Jones and a drawing by Simeon artists of international standing including Solomon. Amongst the drawings is a fine Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and R. B. group by William Dyce. There are figure Kitaj. More recently, Rachel Maclean and studies by John Phillip and landscape Chiho Aoshima are significant drawings by the Aberdeen born painter representatives of new techniques, James Giles. There are also some 150 particularly digital printing. drawings by Joan Eardley. 4.3.2. PEACOCK ARCHIVE In addition to the works by primarily Aberdeen's own printmaking studio, British artists, there are four exceptional Peacock Printmakers, is included in our illuminated pages from a Book of Hours, collection with many etchings, depicting Stations of the Cross. They are screenprints and woodcuts. Since 1987 thought to be Flemish and to date from the Peacock Archive, comprising an the 14th century. The majority of this example of every print they have collection, however, dates from the 18th produced, has been added to the century or later. collections of the Museums.

4.3.3. REPRODUCTIONS 4.3. 2D WORKS: PRINTED MATERIALS Over the years various reproductions 4.3.1. PRINTS have come into the collections, including sets of reproductions after works by The earliest prints are mostly 18th Picasso and Matisse, amongst others. century engravings including portraits, the moral scenes of William Hogarth and 4.3.4. CREATIVE or ARTIST ARCHIVE a variety of early views of Aberdeen. Besides holding in trust artworks, we care The 19th century prints begin with for some archives that help to add detail William Daniell's aquatints of the Scottish to the artists whose work we collect. This coastal towns and landscape, completed category contains objects collected or owned by an artist. It includes William

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Dyce’s letters, George Reid’s donations between 1959 and 2000. correspondence and a significant holding Beyond his artworks, these have included of John Phillip’s writings. personal photographs, diaries, letters, newspaper cuttings, memorabilia (such as

his easel and etching tools) giving an 4.4. 2D WORKS: PHOTOGRAPHS intimate insight into the artist’s personal Largely as a result of the Scottish Arts life. Council Bequest of 1997 we now have a small but significant collection of artist- 4.6. 3D WORKS: SCULPTURE photographs. Recently this has been 4.6.1. ORIGINAL WORKS enhanced by several notable acquisitions of photopieces by Gilbert and George, The sculpture collection dates from the Martin Parr, Jenny Saville, Francesca 19th and 20th centuries. There are Woodman and Jane and Louise Wilson. particularly strong examples of Their works present new ways of Modernists’ work from the post-war understanding the changing nature of period, including those by Scottish political and cultural landscape and sculptors Alexander and William Brodie, identity, whether of class, ethnicity or James Pittendrigh Macgillivray as well as sexuality in our multicultural age English sculptors Edgar Papworth, Thomas Woolner. 4.5. 2D WORKS: MCBEY ARCHIVE The 20th century collection is stronger, James McBey (1883-1959) was born in with important examples of the work of Newburgh near Aberdeen and rose to Sir Jacob Epstein, Ossip Zadkine, Barbara international fame as an artist despite Hepworth, Henry Moore, Eduardo having received no formal artistic training. Paolozzi, Richard Long, Anthony Caro and Instead, he taught himself etching from a Gavin Scobie. A small but good holding library book and produced his first of sculpture by French artists includes etchings on a mangle for lack of a printing work by Degas, Rodin and Bourdelle. press. Our collection includes these early works by him, as well as his very first oil Recent additions to the collection have painting, an outstanding likeness of his enhanced our contemporary collections grandmother. He went on to record the with notable works by David Batchelor, First World War as an Official War Artist in Michael Wilkinson, Kenny Hunter, the Middle East, and we have in our Christine Borland, Bryndis collection his preparatory sketches as well Snaeborndottir, Charles Avery, Henry as key works such as Dawn. Camel Patrol Coombes and Sara Barker. Setting Out, which achieved a record price 4.6.2. CASTS when sold at auction in 1926. A constant traveller, McBey lived in Morocco, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums , the USA and regularly visited holds a number of important casts within Scotland, and he recorded his experiences its collection. In 1905 the sculpture court in all of these places with a characteristic building opened to the public, showing a immediacy. We have paintings, sketches large collection of plaster casts from and prints spanning the artist’s entire life prehistory to the 18th century. These and career. While AAGM started included the most complete series of collecting works by McBey as early as the Parthenon sculptures after the British 1910s, we have developed the world’s Museum, Celtic crosses, classical largest archive on this artist thanks to the sculpture and sculpture of the Italian generosity of his friend and patron HH renaissance, largely funded by local Kynett, and above all his wife Marguerite subscription. Although many of the casts McBey who made several significant were dismantled in the 1960’s, one third

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of the original Celtic cross cast collection remains, along with a significant representation of plaster casts of Greek and early medieval sculptures.

4.7. 3D WORKS: INSTALLATIONS Two installation works by Richard Long and Craig Richardson were acquired through the Scottish Arts Council Bequest in 1997. More recently we have acquired another installation entitled Head and Shoulders with Conditioner by Jim Lambie.

4.8. 3D WORKS: MEMORABILIA Besides holding in trust the artworks produced by artists, we care for memorabilia connected to artists. These often enter the collection as part of an artist’s archive and help to add detail to the artists whose work we collect. This category contains objects used or owned by an artist, such as William Hogarth’s paintbox, walking stick and the bowl his pug used to drink from, James McBey’s easel and etching tools, or Ian Hamilton Finaly’s sundial

4.9. INTANGIBLE WORK and NEW MEDIA Since the dawn of conceptual art, ideas themselves have been able to become artworks in their own right. More recently, artworks have relied on various new technologies to make themselves manifest, such as neon lighting, video projectors and audio equipment. Particular emphasis placed on themes that are revelatory of the human condition such as Dalziel and Scullion’s Another Place, Julian Opie’s Sparkly Jeans and Top, Torsten Lauschmann’s Pandora’s Ball, Jacques Coetzera’s Room to Roam, the digital film by Conor Gault titled Le Fabuleux Destin, Rachel Maclean’s The Lion and the Unicorn, Susan Philipsz’s Two Sisters and Tracey Emin’s neon light piece, For You.

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5. HISTORY: OVERVIEW 5.1. PERSONAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE The collections tell the story of the history and The personal and domestic life collection development of the city. They encompass comprises items used by individuals and personal and domestic life, wider community small social networks (family or life such as community and religious groups, otherwise). For example, domestic items civil authorities and infrastructure, and local and personal accessories; personal industrial history. The archaeological papers, letters, diaries and memorabilia collections (which include bulk finds and soil recording local life or of significant samples) contain items from the Neolithic Aberdonians. period, but are particularly strong for 5.1.1. Archaeology medieval period. The strengths of the later collections are drawn from the late 1880s The archaeological collections contain onwards when trading and industrial activity personal and domestic objects from in Aberdeen began to take on the shape that the Neolithic to Post-medieval we recognise today. These collections focus periods. Examples of domestic wares on Aberdeen city and the immediate environs include cooking pots and food vessels, but include material from the Neolithic stone bowls and polished hinterland and Grampian Region (due in part axe heads. Items for personal use to changing Local Authority boundaries) and include objects such as jewellery, extend to the North Sea to encompass the oil clothing, combs and pipes. Examples and gas industries supported from the City. include a Bronze Age armlet, medieval brooches, buttons from the 1700s and The history collections support Aberdeen Art 1800s, and a copper alloy bracelet on Gallery & Museums’ vision to be at the heart the arm of a body excavated from the of cultural life in north east Scotland, as a church of the Aberdeen Carmelite record of local life but having also great friary. Organic domestic finds such as potential to and diversify our leather shoe soles from 1100s to audiences. For the purposes of this policy the 1400s and wool textile fragments history collections are divided into the from 1200s to 1300s have been following categories: Personal and domestic preserved due to waterlogged life; Community life and wellbeing; Trade, conditions in the soil. industry and working lives. 5.1.2. Personal history Details of how these categories relate to those used in previous copies of the policy These collections include personal and the classifications on our Collections records such as certificates, diaries Management System, please see Appendix H. and scrapbooks compiled and kept by individuals. There are a large number

of photographs, papers and objects relating to the personal life of the Duthie family, the owners of one of

Aberdeen’s most important shipbuilders. It contains items kept as personal mementoes, relics or memorials. There is also a large collection of greetings cards, Christmas cards and postcards. A collection of holiday related items comprises photographs, souvenirs and commemoratives, which also includes memorabilia relating to

royalty. A range of personal

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accessories also falls within this 5.2. COMMUNITY LIFE AND WELL BEING collection and includes items for The community life and wellbeing writing (in a personal capacity), collection represents the experiences of grooming, toiletries and cosmetics, locally based community groups and the and the consumption of alcohol (e.g. services provided for individual wellbeing. hip flask) and tobacco. This group This includes organisations such as includes domestic records which schools, faith and religion, local comprise legal documents, accounts, government and emergency services, as rent books, photograph albums and well as military service and armed loose family photographs, mostly as conflict. It also includes hobbies, leisure, part of wider gifts relating to local sport and recreation from local clubs, individuals. societies and organisations. The modern 5.1.3. Domestic life history collections are very strong on local community life, cutting across traditional The domestic life collection includes categories. domestic appliances used for cleaning and maintenance, and cooking. 5.2.1. Archaeology Relating to this is a collection of items Collections include a significant of for the preparation, serving and Neolithic Carved Stone Balls, storing of food, including recipe and recovered from a number of sites cookery books. across North east Scotland, these 5.1.4. Entertainment and Hobbies enigmatic objects are rarely found outside Scotland and those from Collections include material related to Aberdeenshire tend to be larger than domestic life especially the electrical those found elsewhere. A Medieval trades and home entertainment such ice skate, made from horse bone and as radios, televisions, phonographs, dated to the 1300s, was recovered and personal computers. There is a from an excavation in the city while particularly strong collection of mid- other finds from fieldwork include 1900s valve radios and related medieval dice and modern golf balls. ephemera such instruction manuals This also includes a very small and magazines. A small collection of collection of human bone from local televisions, video players, excavations. gramophones and related objects supplement the radio collection. 5.2.2. Leisure activities The collections include collecting The health and sporting pursuits of hobbies such as scrap books, cigarette many Aberdonians was fostered by cards, philately and postcards are local companies such as Pirie’s at represented, alongside a range of Stoneywood and the collections dolls, toys and games from the early contain good examples of trophies 1800s to early 2000s. A small group of and other memorabilia associated Far Eastern, Egyptian, Greek and with such organisations. There are Roman artefacts were collected as a examples of sporting equipment and hobby by local travellers in the 1800s related ephemera, mostly golfing and and early 1900s. There are also about fishing, and some objects relating to 150 ancient coins, mostly from Greece His Majesty’s Theatre and the Music and Rome, which include a few rare Hall. There are examples of tokens silver pieces of the Roman Republic, used in a range of activities, including donated by collectors in the early to a number of 1900s gaming tokens mid 1900s. fashioned to imitate contemporary coinage.

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5.2.3. Faith groups 5.2.7. Medals This collection includes objects from Commemorative medals range from local Aberdeen faith groups. It is locally-issued medals and badges of dominated by the ecclesiastical various periods to limited-edition history of Aberdeen, and has been Victorian medallions struck by the recently supplemented by Buddhist Royal Mint. There is a small number robes and related items. Communion of Prize Medals, from Aberdonian tokens largely relate to specific institutions and organisations or churches and congregations in the awarded to Aberdonians, dating from North East and the Highlands of the 1800s and 1900s. The medals Scotland with a number issued across include those from the fields of Scotland by a denomination. Dates education, agriculture and sport. range from the late 1600s to late 5.2.8. Utilities and Services 1800s. There are examples of Maundy money, from the 1600s, and a small The collections include a broad range number of modern Maundy Money of fittings and appliances for the purses. domestic supply of services such as heating, lighting, water, sewage and 5.2.4. Health and wellbeing (Medicine drainage. Gas production is and healthcare) represented by a range of domestic The medical collection has strong appliances and such associated with North East connections and reflects gas are also included. the way in which medical science and 5.2.9. Societies practise impact upon local communities. The collection also Organised labour is represented by an includes objects which represent the important collection of Trade Union care of individuals in a domestic banners associated with the setting. Aberdeen trades including shipbuilders and boilermakers, 5.2.5. Education bakers, carpenters etc. as well as the The collection comprises a small Offshore Industry Liaison Committee, group of objects relating to formal now the RMT (Rail Maritime and and informal education, including Transport Union). school and college certificates of 5.2.10. Civic achievement and prizes. Items used in educational settings are also part of This collection includes artefacts this, such as inkwells, blackboards and relating to the civic history of globes. Aberdeen, especially objects relating to ex-Lord Provosts and Freemen of 5.2.6. Wartime the City. Material relating to city The collection is a small, but locally services, such as fire and police are significant, collection of objects also included in this section. Civic reflects life during wartime including photographs of local events and ration books, gas masks and photographs which document the ephemera and military medals, mostly development of the city itself are from the late 1800s to mid 1900s and included in this collection. awarded to Aberdonians. There are

also a small number of foreign medals.

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5.3. TRADE, INDUSTRY and WORKING Harbour as a trading port. Examples LIVES of imported pottery range from the Roman to Post-medieval periods Aberdeen’s long industrial and trading while locally produced pottery is also history mean we have sizeable holdings well-represented in the collection. which encompass a number of industries The waterlogged conditions near to and activities based upon exploiting local Aberdeen harbour have meant that resources and which still remain organic industrial material such as significant to the local area. These include leather, textiles and wood have been fishing and fish processing, granite preserved. Examples of earlier trade working, energy, chemical and gas and industry are reflected in the working, as well as ceased activities such worked flints and bronze axes and as whaling. Other industries that are swords within the collection. For the represented in the collection include more modern period there are a papermaking, textile manufacture and number of objects including patterns engineering. for items such as capstans, and diving The collection also includes personal items equipment of the type used in and oral histories relating to working lives harbour maintenance. There is also a of people in the city of Aberdeen. photographic record and paintings 5.3.1. Currency relating to events in the harbour, for example the Royal visit of 1848 by The collection of coins and banknotes Queen Victoria. is international, with examples of both defunct and in-use currencies, its 5.3.3. Fishing and Whaling greatest strength lies in the material Fishing was a primary industry of relating to Scotland and to Aberdeen North East Scotland in the 19th and and the North-east in particular, a 20th Centuries and models, number of historic cheques issued by photographs, company records and banks associated with the North East paintings in the collection reflects of Scotland. this. The collection includes material Aberdeen City is recognised for the relating to life and work in small large number of medieval coin hoards fishing communities, trawling, fish found within its boundaries. The processing, fisheries research and the entire contents of two of these environmental impact of fishing. hoards, of medieval silver pennies There is a small range of objects found in the centre of Aberdeen related to the Whaling industry, during the 1980s, together with half including ship models, harpoons and the contents of a third hoard scrimshaw. unearthed a century earlier, form a 5.3.4. Granite Industry unique feature of the currency This important industry is one that collection. defines historic Aberdeen. The Industry and Trade collection is extensive but has to date 5.3.2. Harbour lacked examples of major machinery elements related to the industry due Aberdeen Harbour and Port is the to lack of storage and suitable display oldest existing business in Britain with space. It also is limited in material the earliest record of it dating from directly related to quarrying. There is 1136. A large number of a good selection of hand tools, archaeological objects in the images, catalogues and business collection reflect trade and industry records, as well as samples and some due to the importance of Aberdeen small items of cut stone. The

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Aberdeen City Council Museums and Galleries Collections Development Policy: Appendix A

collection lacks significant items such Manufacturing industries: as ‘fancy’ work, and robust elements 5.3.7. Shipbuilding of trade as well as the contemporary scene. Items related to shipbuilding and its associated activities, once a major 5.3.5. Energy Industries element of the local scene, are Beginning in the 1960s, the oil and strongly represented. There is a Gas industry is a key display in diverse range of objects, ranging from Aberdeen Maritime Museum which the oil painting of a Scottish warship remains the primary location where of the 1660s through to the bell of the the public can learn about its history, RMS St Helena, the last ship built in development and future. The star Aberdeen. It also contains exhibit is the 1:33 scale model of the photographs, paintings, and over 300 “Murchison” oil platform and the models and half-hull models of ships collection also includes documents such as trawlers and local ferries as relating to the industry, industrial well as navigation equipment. There equipment, personnel safety are also drawings, workmen’s tools, equipment, photographs and specification books and photographs maritime models. The collection also relating to the shipyards. reflects changes in the industry from 5.3.8. Engineering production to decommissioning. The collection contains objects relating to The extensive engineering collection the Piper Alpha Oil and Gas Platform contains a considerable number of Disaster of 6th July 1988, including items from various large and small maquettes produced as part of the concerns integral to the development production of the Piper Alpha of Aberdeen over the past two Memorial. hundred years. It represents a microcosm of activity that could be 5.3.6. Chemical and Gas Industry headed ‘Made in Aberdeen’ related to This collection is extensive with an the civil, mechanical and electrical emphasis upon the Aberdeen trades of the city and beyond. In the Gasworks and the Sandilands past the scale of the machinery Chemical works. It contains working utilised has precluded its collection. notebooks, plans and images as well Notwithstanding that the collections as a considerable collection of smaller contain numerous engineering items related to both plants and drawings, plans, catalogues, images as domestic and commercial items well as some of the smaller items such related to chemical production and as tools. gas use in the city and beyond. 5.3.9. Textile Manufacture Other Key Industries This industry is represented by several The wide range of engineering industries, items at present on loan from the the papermaking industry, as well as former owners of Grandholm Mills. logistical and transportation based This material is noteworthy as it activities (including shipping), has been includes samples of fabrics woven to and remain important contributors to the supply the allied forces in the First local and national economy and likewise World War, as well as the wide range are sizable constituents of the collections. of fabrics that went into the fashion These industries broadly form two natural trade in the 1900s. Other notable groupings under the headings of creative items include some mid-1700s maps or manufacturing industries and of the River Don, Woodside Works supportive or service industries. and Grandholm Mills and a significant

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Aberdeen City Council Museums and Galleries Collections Development Policy: Appendix A

body of material associated with 5.3.14. Metrology Richards’ textile mill. There is a good collection of 5.3.10. Paper making official/standard weights and measures from the 1800s and early Aberdeen was once had a large paper 1900s. It also includes a number of making industry and a number of mills examples of working measures and operating. Now it is home, at such associated with various trades Stoneywood, to one of only two and activities in Aberdeen such as working mills in the country. The pharmaceuticals. collection ranges from photographs and plans of works and machinery, 5.3.15. Postal Service images of workers (and some oral Items relating to the Post Office are testimonies) to papermaking frames, centred on the material from the samples of raw and finished materials, Crown Street Head Office but does ephemera, to transport tokens and include material from other locations items associated with workers and covers the 1800s and 1900s. It welfare. includes ephemera, signage, scales 5.3.11. Printing and many of the areas of the public interface with the postal service. A relatively small collection of printing items ranging in date from 1700s to 5.3.16. Retail and hospitality late 1900s includes a number of Items relating to local shops, hotels, significant items including a 1700s restaurants and pubs, predominantly hand press, and the last hot type from the late 1800s to about 1980. It edition of the Press and Journal. includes ephemera, signage, some 5.3.12. History of Photography fixtures and fittings and moveable display accessories. This is a strong collection with a good balance of professional and amateur equipment but weak pre-1880s and 5.3.17. MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIES post-1960s items. A highlight of the collection is a major archive of George A number of smaller collections Washington Wilson photographs, related to industrial activity in ephemera and a large collection of Aberdeen such as pottery and brick glass and film negatives, slides and making, brewing and distilling, photographs depicting life in work in woodworking and agriculture are also the city. covered.

Service industries: 5.3.18. ORAL HISTORY 5.3.13. Public Transport Links Recordings within the collections explore the personal recollections of There is a good group of material people living and working in Aberdeen relating to the early development of including ex-fishermen, former the Airport at Dyce as well as material employees and others associated with relating to railway travel mainly in the Hall Russell Shipbuilders, Richards 1800s and early 1900s. Plc., and working and living offshore.

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