Today’s Stirling Smith object is an elegant writing stand, made for Shoreham Old Church in West Sussex. It is engraved with the words ‘For ye use of ye Great Vestry Room, Saml. Coupers Vestry Clerke 1745’ and is in the Neish Collection of British Pewter.

Alex Neish has spent a lifetime in rescuing old pewter, much of which was going abroad with the antique trade. He has spent an equal amount of time researching his collection and writing about it in specialist journals. Working with his wife Patricia he has now produced a magnificent colour catalogue of 232 pages, illustrating each of the pieces. Much of the photography work was done by John McPake who worked as a photographer for Central Region and Stirling Councils.

Alex Neish’s gift of his world–famous collection to the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum is well known. Last year, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Smith in recognition of his contribution to the preservation and study of pewter and his gift to the Smith. We are pleased to announce that he has made an additional gift of the limited edition of this special publication to the Stirling Smith, and we are retailing it exclusively at £40 per copy in support of the collection.

It is a unique publication of which Stirling can be justly proud.