A Heavenly Gift, June Carey RSW

A Heavenly Gift, June Carey RSW

An important new work of art is installed in the Stirling Smith later this week.  ‘A Heavenly Gift’ has been made by artist June Carey, who lives and works in Stirling, to celebrate the 140th birthday of the Smith in 2014.  Thomas Stuart Smith, also an artist with Stirling connections,

Continue reading

Helen Lamb,

The subject today is the ‘Glasgow Girl’ artist Helen Lamb (1893-1981) whose work gave colour and meaning to church services for several generations of worshippers in the Church of Scotland.  She studied at the Glasgow School of Art, and spent most of her working life in Dunblane, with a studio

Continue reading

Victorian Valentine Fan

An elaborate fan, of machine cut paper lace, was the Valentine message sent by J. Malcolm Allan’s grandfather to his sweetheart in 1889.  The couple married in 1890, and until it was gifted to the Smith in 2002, the Valentine fan was a family treasure.  More versatile than a card,

Continue reading

Gourlay Feathery Golf Ball

Until 20 March, the Stirling Smith has the privilege of hosting the famous Ryder Cup Heritage exhibition. The ancient Royal Burgh and City of Stirling has golfing heritage of its own. It is recorded in the accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland that on 29 March 1506 James

Continue reading
The print is one of a large collection in the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.

Looking to Stirling from St. Ninians

This view dates from the mid 1740s, and is certainly before 1 February 1746, when the retreating Jacobite army accidentally blew up St.Ninian’s Church, leaving only the tower which stands today. Weaver’s Row to the left of the church also still remains. The view is taken from the old Glasgow

Continue reading
The Wallace Monument and the River Forth, 1898, Edmund Baker

The Wallace Monument and the River Forth, 1898

This painting, by Art Master Edmund Baker (died 1926) of the High School of Stirling, is a recent purchase for the Stirling Smith, with the support of the National Fund for Acquisitions and the Friends of the Smith. Edmund was first employed in the capacity of an assistant in 1889,

Continue reading
Remembering Bannockburn.

Remembering Bannockburn the Bannockburn Brooch

The brand new visitor centre, interpreting the Battle of Bannockburn, will satisfy every question, about the momentous events of 23-24 June 1314, when it opens later this year.  It is 50 years since the old visitor centre opened, to join the great flagpole, put up in 1870 to enable people

Continue reading
Stirling threads exhibition at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum

Stirling Threads

The year of Homecoming, 2014, started in great style with wonderful fireworks displays at the Castle and Wallace Monument.  2014 will be Stirling’s year, with so many special anniversaries – the centenary of the start of the Great War and the birth of Stirling – born film maker, Norman McLaren,

Continue reading
Hugh Green

Hugh Green’s Stirlingshire – a Retrospective

  James Wedlake joined the Stirling Smith staff as an Intern, on the Museums Galleries Scotland Adopt an Intern scheme in September. A graduate in the History of Art from the University of Cambridge, James (23), has encountered and tackled many of the issues involved in curatorship, and is now

Continue reading
Plaza Ballroom, Stirling

Stirling’s Plaza Ballroom

Syd Kerr’s Plaza Orchestra was the key to the success of Stirling’s Plaza Ballroom.  The Plaza was created in 1946 from the former cinema, situated between Lower Craigs and Goosecroft, and had a balcony café above the dance floor.  For a generation, it was the great romantic meeting place.  Observer

Continue reading