Bruce and de Bohun
With the approach of the 704th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn this weekend, it is worth re-visiting one of the Smith’s more famous paintings. ‘Bruce and de Bohun’ was painted by artist John Duncan (1866 – 1945) as an entry in the national competition run by Kelvingrove Art Gallery
Provost George Christie (1826 – 1902)
People expect the Stirling Smith to have portraits of past Provosts of Stirling. This is not the case, for unlike the other major Scottish cities, Stirling has never commissioned or curated civic portraits. There are few Stirling Provosts represented in the Smith’s collections and most, like this one, were painted
Gigantic Seat
With the arrival of good gardening weather, why not take a break to visit Ailie’s Garden at the back of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum? Established by the Friends of the Smith in 2002, it is still one of Stirling’s hidden treasures. It is tended every Thursday morning
Bags of Help for the Smith
Although there are 215 days to Christmas, the purpose of today’s story is to flag up some very special bags of help which have been given to the Stirling Smith. This little paper bag for cards was a very small part of the great Stirling enterprise of Graham and Morton.
Stirling Waterworks
The matter of the water supply does not trouble us much. We turn on the taps and enjoy clean drinking and bathing water without fuss or effort. Until the 1840s, the fetching and carrying of water was a major task in Stirling. Circuit Judge Lord Cockburn deplored the fact that
The Stirling Jug
People visit the Stirling Smith for many reasons. Recently the Goss Ware Collector’s Club which draws its membership Britain-wide came specially to see the original Stirling Jug. They brought these three jugs as a gift to the Stirling Smith collections. Printed on the base is ‘Model of the Stirling Pint
Stirling from the Skies
The Historic Environment Scotland exhibition of aerial photographs of Stirling and Central Scotland before 1954 continues at the Stirling Smith.. Aerial photographs have a perennial fascination for people as they reveal so much. This view of Kings Park, from the top of Victoria Place looking north to the Old Town
Stirling Royal Infirmary magazine
Many people wonder about the value of museum collections and the cost of keeping items from the past. This latest Stirling Smith acquisition, a magazine of 1960, tells us so much about the social history of the town. The art work on the cover dates to 1948 and was done
Music in Stirling
Following the BBC’s Troy series, it is useful to remember how much classical information came through the programme of schools in the past. Featured is the brochure for Dido and Aeneas produced by the High School of Stirling and performed in Museum Hall, Bridge of Allan in June 1957. The
The Swimmers by Charles Anderson
Although this work is not in the Stirling Smith collections, the Burgh Architect’s personal record of it is. The photograph shows part of the great mural by Charles Anderson on the frontage of Stirling Swimming Pool, which opened in 1975 in Goosecroft Road. The architect was Alexander Jamieson Smith who