Thomas Stuart Smith’s Victorian Black Portraiture by Laura Baliman
I recently undertook this internship with the Stirling Smith as a Masters student at the University of Edinburgh in Modern and Contemporary Art: History, Criticism and Curating. I focused on Thomas Stuart Smith’s three portraits of black men painted in 1869, and I sought to recognise their position within the
Jane Anne Wright’s Watercolours of Stirling
The Smith is proud to house a collection of watercolours by Jane Anne Wright (1842-1922). Wright was born into a well-connected family and on her visits to wealthy Stirling families, she often painted their estates. This week on social media, we have explored just some of her watercolours of greater
The Stirling Wolf
Have you ever wandered around Stirling and noticed wolves decorating many parts of the city? The reason for this is that the wolf is a symbol of Stirling and has been since the early medieval period. Long ago, in the 9th century, the small town of Stirling found itself on
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 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
The Stirling Beaver
The news of beavers returning to the River Forth, as reported in the Stirling Observer, is timely. This beaver shop sign is at present in the exhibition on shop fronts in the Engine Shed. In the eighteenth century, the word “beaver” and “hat” were virtually synonymous. Beavers were hunted to
Newspaper Story
With the recent fire at 41 – 44 Murray Place, it’s worth remembering the history of this distinctive curved building, and the story of newspapers, always at the heart of the burgh. The first building on the site was the single storey newsagents shop of Crawford and Mackay. Eneas Mackay
Ye Smith Institute Fancye Fayre 1882
The bizarre bazaar held in the Stirling Smith, formerly the Smith Institute, 24 – 26 August 1882 is one of the stranger episodes in the museum’s history. After complaints that the main gallery of the Smith was being hired out for concerts and other activities which were doing damage to