On our last full day in Glasgow we walked up to the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, which was a bit of a trek, but it was worth it. The museum was founded in 1807 and contains the bequest of Dr William Hunter, an eminent surgeon. It holds lots of fascinating exhibits including scientific equipment and cultural artefacts.
Across the road, the Art Gallery contains a large collection of Whistler paintings, as well as other, varied artworks. The current exhibition, Mackintosh Architecture: Context, Making and Meaning, looks at the artist’s work in the context of his employment by the office of John Honeyman & Keppie, showing how he had his own distinctive style but also worked collaboratively as part of the firm.
Also on the site is the Mackintosh House, the home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, which was reassembled following the demolition of their home at 78 Southpark Avenue (formerly 6 Florentine Terrace).
On our way up to the Hunterian we passed the Glasgow School of Art. Poor, poor Glasgow School of Art. The effects of the fire of a few months ago can be clearly seen; I hope they manage to restore it properly.
After leaving the Hunterian, we caught the bus again and got off just before the end to visit the Tenement House. This was a fascinating look at a typical Glaswegian home, left almost as a time capsule as it was lived in by the same woman, Agnes Toward, for over half a century. She made very few changes during her time in the house, and it was fascinating to look around.
In the evening we went to Wagamama, followed by a trip to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see some new plays (the review is here). There were two plays, 1914 Machine and Blind Eye, and they were both very different, but we enjoyed them.
The next day my mam and I headed to Central Station, had breakfast, and parted. I returned to London, though determined to come back to Glasgow at some point!
