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Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Live Borders is an independent sport/culture trust established in April 2016. It operates 11 Museums/Galleries (formerly Scottish Borders Council Museums and Galleries) under a formal management agreement with Scottish Borders Council:

  Hawick Museum & Scott Gallery; Borders Textile Towerhouse; Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum; Mary Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre; The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum; Coldstream Museum; Halliwell’s House Museum; Sir Walter Scott’s Courtroom; St Ronan’s Wells Visitor centre; Peebles Museum and Old Gala House. Live Borders Museums & Galleries Headquarters and the Selkirk/Galashiels collections stores are based in St Mary’s Mil, Selkirk.

  Additional Museum storage is located in the Library/Contact Centre building in Duns. The Heritage Hub Archive in Hawick is the repository for Scottish Borders Region Archive.

  The Council holds the permanent collections of museum objects and works of art in stewardship on behalf of Scottish Borders communities. The Council also has responsibility for a section of the permanent collections designated as Common Good historic and cultural assets which are managed by Live Borders as part of the museum, library and archive collections.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Hawick Museum & the Scott Gallery, and Borders Textile Towerhouse

  Hawick Museum’s collection has to be recognised as unique within Scottish Borders as it represents over 150 years of continual collecting, something that no other museum can claim. Because Hawick Museum was for many years the only Museum operating in the Scottish Borders some of its collections have a regional rather than a local content. Notwithstanding the comments below Hawick Museum’s collecting policy recognises that there are now Accredited Museums in the Scottish Borders, both local authority and independent, that are now more appropriate homes for material which was traditionally accepted at Hawick and that in future offers of this material will be passed onto the most appropriately located Accredited Museum. Hawick Museum’s collecting activities will include acquisition of textiles, hosiery, design, photographic and costume material intended for display at the Borders Textile Towerhouse (formerly Drumlanrig’s Tower) in Hawick. Accordingly, Hawick Museum will be the overarching collection incorporating Borders Textile Towerhouse material under its aegis. Collecting of minor archive material in relation to museum acquisitions of textiles and hosiery etc. will be through discussion and agreement with Live Borders Archives.

  Human History

  • Fine holdings of early archaeological evidence span several centuries BC and include an excellent complete Bronze Age Cist burial from Menslaws, a good representative collection of worked flints and axes, cinerary urns, a fine hogsback aravestone and metalwork. Good Roman and important early Egyptian material includes ceramic vessels, ushabti and figures, decorated stonework from Ruberslaw and Minto, coinage and assemblages from Ruberslaw camp, and Newstead.
  • The medieval assemblies contain material from the Hawick Motte excavations, made in the early 20th century by Curle (Archaeologist) and embrace pottery, coins, metalwork, and domestic ware, in addition to masonry from the original St Mary’s Church and a complete urn from rescue archaeology at the Tower Knowe site, but there is room for expansion here.
  • Burgh material spans the 17th – 21st century, with local Common Riding material well represented.
  • Social history of the Victorian and Edwardian periods is well covered and includes good domestic material, evidence of small trade and cottage industries, with some costume, but few working clothes.
  • Sport and Recreation is covered only by a small collection of early curling and rugby items. This is an area to be regarded as a short – medium term priority.
  • 20th and 21st century wartime and the 1919-1938 inter-war period (are represented by a small collection of material from the home front, Stobs POW camp and civilian records, but there is an exceptional collection of war medals Material dated after 1945 is thin and this is an area to be regarded as a shortterm priority.

  Archive Material

  • Hawick Museum has a strong collection of local archive material. Most significant are the 1638 Roxburghshire copy of the National Covenant, heritor’s papers from the original Parish Church, local farming and estate papers, mill records, diaries and notebooks, albums or sketchbooks of Borders people of note, motor licensing records, maps and plans and monumental instructions.
  • The Hawick Museum photographic collection archive comprises circa 6,000 original items, prints, glass negatives and early slides. Bound newspapers dating back over a century and other original manuscript material are held alongside a significant collection of local books and miscellaneous printed ephemera. The Museum Library includes a loan deposit from Hawick Archaeological Society(HAS) of a significant collection of local books and a set of the Society’s annual publication- HAS Transactions.

  Costume

  • Costume and replica costume is a priority area in line with the focus of the Borders Textile Towerhouse, Hawick and its exhibition focus and regional collecting remit for costume, textiles and hosiery. Examples of good quality historic and contemporary garments including those made by Borders textile & hosiery manufacturers, or by designers linked to Borders manufacturers, will be actively collected.
  • Costume collecting should be undertaken on a regional basis and all aspects of clothing and accessories, across the entire class spectrum, must be actively sought.

  World Cultures

  • Hawick Museum is one of two Scottish Borders Council Museums holding substantial world culture material. The interesting world culture collection is held because of the fact that it grew from material brought back to the town by local people and includes Oceanic, Oriental, North/South American, Australasian, European, Ancient Egyptian, African and Indian artefacts.

  Industrial History

  • The Hawick hosiery and knitwear industry is quite well served by a collection of early machinery and product samples. A collection of contemporary knitwear garments and tweed products is also established. Tweed production machinery is represented by a fine hand loom and a pattern cutter. Good archive material from local firms is also prominent and includes good early photographic evidence of previous production. Spinning is at present not covered notably in its industrial processes, only by early hand-methods. It is unlikely that much more machinery will be collected unless larger off-site storage or display facilities with suitable environmental controls and security can be obtained for permanent use.
  • Objects relating to other local Trades and Industries are adequately covered, particularly in shoe making, local medicine, architecture/building trades, printing, aerated water manufacture and photography. There is however a lack of good material from small trades specific to Hawick such as sweet manufacturing. Shops have closed with little artefactual evidence being collected. There are small agricultural collections with some interesting examples of ploughs. Due to lack of storage space it is not desirable to continue to collect machinery or large industrial objects until centralised storage can be obtained on a permanent basis.
  • Transport and communication is also very thinly covered, with little evidence of objects relating to railway services including the original Waverly Line and other early modes of transport, save for some fine bicycles.

  Natural Sciences

  • Hawick Museum, along with Peebles Museum are the only Scottish Borders collections traditionally and currently collecting Natural Science material. This position is recognised and it is agreed that only these sites will continue to collect in this field. Collecting will therefore be undertaken on regional basis rather than local criteria
  • In terms of geology, the museum is served by excellent collections of regional material and interesting mineral specimens. Animal and bird specimens reflect regional habitat patterns. There are some exotic specimens included by way of representing historical collecting activities by former members of the local Archaeological Society. Insect holdings reflect the collecting activities of particular significant individuals and birds eggs were also collected up until recent legislation controlled such activity.
  • Although wide-ranging, the taxidermy collections, and insect specimens are not of even quality. There are significant gaps in the collection of native species and the entire holding of insect material has been classed as “nonscientific” (where there is no provenance or data).

  Personalia

  • Hawick’s illustrious people include Jimmie Guthrie, motor cycle champion killed in 1937, Steve Hislop- motorcycle champion killed in 2004 and Chay Blyth, the world famous yachtsman. There is a small Guthrie collection, which has been expanded and consolidated into an extensive collection now, but nothing significant relating to Blyth.
  • Material relating to Jimmie Guthrie, Steve Hislop, Chay Blyth and other eminent people connected to Hawick and environs will continue to be collected.

  Fine Art and Decorative Art, including Applied Art (Hawick Art Collection and the Scottish Borders Regional Art collection)

  Existing collections

  As with Natural Science collecting on a regional basis, Hawick Museum’s recent collecting activity on both a local and a regional basis has resulted in it holding the majority of the major works in the fine art, decorative art and applied art collection. As such this provides an important regional resource. It is also important to note that some of the art collection is also designated as Hawick Common Good assets.

  Collecting priorities in this area, especially with regard to the artistic merit of work rather than its local context, has been fairly compatible across the whole of the region. While not intended to be restrictive, the Fine and Decorative Art collecting policy for Hawick Museum applies to associated museum/gallery sites (region-wide). General fine art acquisitions, will usually be stored in Hawick where the main Regional Fine Art collection is located.

  These holdings of fine art and decorative art can and must be simply divided into clear categories:

  • The Hawick local art collection (Hawick social history interest): Amateur paintings, prints, drawings, engravings, portraits, decorative and applied arts, architects’ designs relating to local subjects or premises, collected for their local content or association, rather than for their artistic merit. Only occasionally are these not mutually exclusive.(Some of which are Hawick Common Good assets).
  • Hawick Fine Art and Sculpture Collection – paintings, artist contemporary prints, works on paper, sketchbooks, photographs, craft and sculpture collected pre 1996 and notable for their artistic merit, art historical importance or recognised quality including works by leading Scottish artists and makers. (Some of which are Hawick Common Good assets).
  • The Scottish Borders Regional fine art and decorativelapplied art collection (some of which is Common Good or private loan material) consisting of: paintings, contemporary prints and works on paper, hanging pieces, prints, sketchbooks, fine art photography, multi-media, craft, ceramics, metalwork, textile pieces(e.g. embroidery or tapestry), woodwork and sculpture. Items in this collection are collected for their quality, artistic merit, subject matter relevance and suitability for inclusion in temporary and touring exhibitions.

  Jedburgh Castle Jail and Museum

  Existing collections

  • The holdings at the Jail are relatively small, but nevertheless reflect adequately firstly, that period of the building’s use as the town jail, and secondly, the history of the burgh.
  • Prison history is covered by original material from the Governor’s (Jailer’s) block and the debtors’ prison and reflects daily life in a 19th century reform prison. Substantially more in volume, the local history collections comprise a good prehistoric assemblage from the Dunion Hill site, Roman and Romano-British related material from Camptown and environs, fine but small medieval collections from the Friary site, including glassware, sherds and masonry; excellent burgh material such as Town weights and measures, the medieval Jedburgh Jug/measure, Burgess tickets, town drums etc. and a small range of local trade and industrial artefacts. Two good examples of small cannons made at the Jedburgh foundry are particularly fine.
  • Artefacts and works of art or prints from town’s more recent history are however, thin, but growing in scope with the development of displays at the Castle Jail.

  Marv, Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre. Jedburah

  Existing collections

  Collections at the House are small but concentrate entirely on the life, times and cult of Mary Stuart. There is a small collection of 16th century manuscript material, several artefacts which are believed to be associated with Mary herself, such as fabric, a watch, a lock of hair, a shoe sample, a thimble and a communion set, alongside a volume of 19th century material which reflects her story such as paintings, prints and copy relics. Naturally the collections are very sparsely served by original authenticated material.

  Kelso

  Kelso and Environs – existing collections

  The closure of Kelso Museum in 1998 should not be seen as a reason to stop collecting Kelso and district material.

  The strengths of the existing Kelso collections lie in good archaeological and important medieval material drawn from earlier collections and from locally excavated materials from the 1980’s. In addition, a wide range of nineteenth and twentieth century artefacts reflecting Kelso as a market town include small agricultural collections and those of local trades and small industries feature skinning and tanning, aerated water and bottling, blacksmithing and cobbling. Costume is relatively well represented in terms of working clothes and Victorian women’s garments. There are however significant gaps, due to major restraints on space for storage and display.

  Sir Walter Scott’s Courtroom, Selkirk

  Existing collections

  Collections held in the Courtroom are small but concentrate entirely on the following areas:

  • The life and times of Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832, with particular emphasis on his work as Sheriff of Selkirk 1799-1832, and his literary achievements.
  • Scott’s literary contemporaries and writers influenced by Scott and linked to relating to Selkirk, the Valleys and environs, especially the poet and author James Hogg (the Ettrick Shepherd), late 19th century man of letters – Andrew Lang and poets J.B Selkirk and Will Ogilvie of Kirklee, Ashkirk. and Scott’s other friendships with Robert Burns and William & Dorothy Wordsworth.
  • Selkirk’s municipal, burgh and legal history including law and order.
  • The building’s role in the above, i.e. as Sheriff Court and Town Hall.
  • Selkirkshire’s literary heritage from Sir Walter Scott to date.
  • In addition to permanent collections currently on display- within the Courtroom, important items and artworks on loan from Selkirk Common Good are also acknowledged (Community Assets relevant to Selkirk include: a range of local history objects, some civic/ceremonial material and large framed watercolour paintings notably by Tom Scott), which are displayed or held in store under the professional care of the curatorial staff. These are professionally cared for by Museums staff and displayed on a rotational basis in line with environmental needs of historic artefacts and sensitive watercolour paintings.

  Halliwell’s House Museum, Selkirk

  Existing collections

  The collections fall into two main areas:

  • Material relating to the building, Halliwell’s Close area and previous occupation by various traders and townspeople.
  • The wider history, creative output, natural history and archaeology of Selkirk, its people and environs including communities of Ettrick, Yarrow, Ashkirk, Lilliesleaf, Lindean, St Boswell’s and Midlem.

  Material relating to the history and occupation of the building, especially its link with the ironmongery trade is well represented. The ironmongery collection is of regional importance and very representative of late nineteenth, early twentieth century stock.

  • The history, development, culture, heritage, creativity and traditions of Selkirk.
  • The collections are reasonably strong in some of the traditional trades of leather working/shoemaking and the hammermen (masons and joiners) but weak in tailoring, fleshing and weaving. The town’s important textile link is not extensively represented. The Common Riding tradition is well represented with flags, bussing ribbons, photographs and a small collection of archival ephemera. Weights and measures are another important collection.
  • Medieval material is scarce although the “Flodden” Flag is a notable item.
  • Works of art, sculpture, photography and craft depicting or relating significantly to the Royal Burgh of Selkirk, its townspeople, environs and its history will only be purchased or acquired when judged by curatorial staff to be of significant artistic merit or clear historical importance (given extremely limited space for storage or display of additional works of art in Selkirk).
  • Material relating to the life and career of the explorer Mungo Park, in line with relocation of material relating to Park from Scott’s Courtroom to Halliwell’s House Museum.
  • The artwork of Tom Scott and personalia related to the artist, especially where there is specific reference to Selkirkshire and the Valleys, as appropriate and as storage and exhibition space allows. (See also Hawick Museum/Fine Art).
  • Visual material, books and other social history objects related to hill sheep farming and shepherding in Selkirkshire. Material includes objects and visual or written material including references to this in literature including: factual writing on sheep farming by James Hogg The Ettrick Shepherd, inclusion in popular culture or rural traditions, social history, costume and art as reflects rural life, farm working, agricultural shows or sheep husbandry in Selkirkshire.

  Old Gala House, Galashiels

  Existing collections

  • The current collections held in the House are relatively small and relate to the History of the House, its inhabitants, the Lairds of Gala and their impact on the history of the town, especially its early development.
  • Old Gala House holds a small but important proportion of the regional fine art collection, largely material collected by the former Ettrick & Lauderdale District Council. This includes the important collections of the work and an associated archive and ephemera relating to the sculptor Thomas Clapperton. Future collecting in relation to this material will fall within the general statement on Regional Fine Art, Decorative Art and Applied Art collecting.

  Selkirk/Galashiels Museums’ Collections Stores – St Marys Mill, Selkirk

  The collections held here largely relate to collections built up by Ettrick & Lauderdale District Museums in the period 1979~96 and cover the geographical area of the former district (Selkirk and the Valleys, Galashiels, Tweedbank, Melrose, Newstead. Earlston, Blainslie, Stow, Clovenfords and Lauder environs).

  Future collecting will continue to follow this geographical area within the general principles expressed in the wider Policy taking into consideration pressure on storage space. Priority gaps in collections that best reflect the historical and cultural importance of place and people of the former Ettrick and Lauderdale district area, within the general principles expressed in the wider Policy will be a focus.

  Archaeology

  The main archaeology collections relate to pre- Roman, Roman and Iron Age and medieval settlement/battle sites in the Newstead, Eildon Hill and Philiphaugh area although we also hold material ranging from pre-history to medieval date found at Ettrick, Yarrow, Ashkirk, Whitmuir, Midlem, Melrose, Lilliesleaf, excavation finds from the Bishop’s Palace and Aikwood and important finds from East Langlee and Carfrae near Lauder. The rest of this collection has developed from donations of material and the product of random collecting and field walking by Tom Scott (1880-1920) and Walter Elliot or Treasure Trove Panel allocation awards.

  Archives

  • There is a substantial collection of Selkirk Archives notably the Walter Mason Archive, Burgh papers and Town Minute Books. The collection comprises both written and pictorial representation relating to many aspects of life in Selkirk e.g. recreation, civic and political life, trades, employment, common riding, local personalities and buildings. The Heritage Hub(Regional Archive based in Hawick) is now the primary repository for Scottish Borders archives, digital content, still images, film and local studies reference book/research material. It will continue to be the main recipient of archives. Live Borders Museums wil continue to liaise with the Archive Manager, as appropriate, on collecting minor archives and photographs related to museum acquisitions.
  • The acquisition in 1989 of the Walter Mason Papers provided a unique and important Scottish collection of documents relating mainly to Selkirk but extending outwith the Scottish Borders and covering the period c1500-1945. Over the years this collection has been the subject of an ongoing conservation and documentation project. The Walter Mason collection complements the Selkirk Burgh, Court and Town Trades/Crafts records and Town/Burgh proceedings books which are now stored at the Heritage Hub. Physical and digital database access to these documents is now managed through the Heritage Hub Archive.
  • Other written archives relate to the subject matter mentioned above and include important material on Sir Walter Scott, Andrew Lang and James Hogg.
  • The Selkirk museum photographic permanent collection held at St Mary’s Mill relating mainly to Selkirk and the surrounding Valley communities includes approximately 50% photographic material on long-term loan from Selkirkshire Antiquarian Society much of it being indexed copies of Clapperton images. Photographs/glass negatives and slides are well represented and at least 75% of the Selkirk photographic collection is by the Clapperton/Mitchell families and Edwards- notable local photographers.
  • There is a small oral history collection but further collecting in this area is the focus of Live Borders Archive Service and additions of oral history material to the Selkirk museum collection would require further liaison with the Archive Manager responsible for the Heritage Hub Archive.

  Civic and Burgh Life

  Civic and Burgh material (including local festivals) is represented in small but important collections and through some loans and Common Good collections. The most notable being Selkirk Common Riding flags, sashes, banners, bussing ribbons or rosettes. In addition, there is a small collection of archival ephemera; the personal collection of Henry Polson, first Galashiels Braw Lad (1930); and a number of short silent documentary films of the Braw Lads Gathering, (commissioned by Wallace Currie past-manager of the Pavilion Cinema), produced by Elder Film Productions in the period 1930-1952. Copies have been shared with National Libraries of Scotland and the British Film Institute.

  Costume and Textiles

  • This represents an area of weakness in the collection especially when textile production played such a decisive role in the development of Galashiels and Selkirk.
  • There is a small collection of domestic costume but very little other textile material.

  World Cultures

  There are very few World Culture items in the Selkirk/Galashiels collection.

  Mungo Park’s African travel trunk is an exceptional and iconic item (purchased with public subscription in 2015). Unless items also fall within another collecting area, e.g. Personalia they will not normally be accepted and offers will be passed onto other Accredited Museums with notable world culture collections located within the Borders or similar Accredited or National museums in the United Kingdom.

  Industrial & Design History

  Evidence of the textile trade, shoe making, leather/tanneries trades and the electronics industry represents important areas for future collecting especially when they play/played such a decisive role in the development of Galashiels and Selkirk. Likewise- the various Selkirk trades(Flesher’s, Hammermen, Merchant Company, Tailor’s etc.,) represented in banners, ribbons, clothing, flags and printed ephemera associated with ceremonial aspects of Selkirk Common riding. Other areas of interest also include transport- most recently including a good contemporary model of Selkirk’s former railway station, gifted by Selkirk’s twin town of Plattling, in Germany.

  Natural Sciences

  There are no Natural Science items in the collection and offers will be passed onto other Accredited Museums i.e. Hawick and Peebles where collections are established and who are collecting on a regional scale.

  Numismatics

  The small collection consisting mainly of 19th century British Trade tokens and coins, communion tokens, military and commemorative medals will be expanded when well provenanced as local material becomes available in a passive rather than active way.

  Personalia

  There are good collections relating to Thomas Clapperton and Henry Polson with smaller collections relating amongst others to Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg,Mungo Park, Tom Scott, Andrew Lang, Bernat Klein and George Hope Tait, Tim Stead, Lord David Steel, the wider Clapperton, Myers and Mitchell families(linked to photography, art and sculpture), A.R, Edwards and George Hope Tait (plus other 20-21st century personalities of note connected to the relevant local environs, sport, politics, creative practitioners, designers, musicians etc.).

  Social, Domestic and Working Life

  Social history from the mid-19th to mid-20th century is reasonably well covered and includes good domestic material (particularly from the Selkirk Ironmongery Collection) with some evidence of small trade or rural industries, mills, retail, schooldays, medicine, recreation, agriculture hand tools and cottage industries and hill sheep farming. There is the basis of a good WW1 and WW2 home front collection. See also archives.

  Fine Art, Decorative Arts, Sculpture, Craft and Applied Arts

  These mainly include items of a local nature but with important small collections of the work of Tom Scott, John Mc Nairn,Tim Stead wood sculptor/furniture craftsman, the sculptor Thomas Clapperton and work by local stone carver/monumental statuary company George Sutherland. The Selkirk Tom Scott Watercolour collection is largely large works on loan from Selkirk Common Good.

  Mainly passive collecting reliant of gifted work and archives/sketchbooks/design work and artist/maker tools. Mostly seeking to add high quality artworks and sculpture or applied art examples of note to enhance existing collections of the work of Tom Scott and Thomas Clapperton and some other Selkirk/Galashiels connected contemporary artists/sculptors/crafters/printmakers/photographers etc., of national/regional importance.

  Peebles Museum

  Encompassing the collections of the Peebles Museum & Gallery, Chambers Institution, the former Innerleithen Museum and the St Ronan’s Wells Visitor Centre. Artworks/objects located at SBC Rosetta Road Offices in Peebles are largely Peebles Common Good collections.)

  The Peebles Museum/wider Tweeddale collections of local history, archives, sculpture, archaeology, art, natural sciences and book collections are mainly located now in the Museum/library co-located space within the Chambers Institution in Peebles. A Service review of property and storage and the scoping of a major development project for Chambers Institution are in progress during 2024-2026. Peebles’ permanent collection largely reflects the collecting interests of the nineteenth century and highlight the importance of important benefactors and philanthropists – in particular, William Chambers who gifted properties and facilitated museum collections access for the locality. Over recent years Peebles Museum and Art Gallery has become well established within the community and collections notable, important donations have been received via Treasure Trove allocations. This has been possible through the work of local archaeology groups and the metal detecting/excavation community. The Collections reflect both Peebles and the wider Tweeddale areas such as West Linton, Manor Valley, Eddleston, Walkerburn and Innerleithen. The impetus for donations in the collecting fields of archaeology, art, textiles and farming is notable. As the Museum Service has become well established within the community, it is now timely to set more definitive standards for collecting based on the perceived needs of filling gaps in the existing collections in the Tweeddale area while being mindful of development opportunities balanced with pressures on current storage space. Opportunities to review needs will be considered in line with the Chambers Institution Trust’s own development plan, Peebles Town Plan (Placemaking), and emerging opportunities as key museum/voluntary group partnerships are formed focusing on archaeology, collections development and research.

  Human History

  • The collections comprise some good prehistoric material from Peeblesshire including cinerary urns, flints, stone and bronze axe heads. There are also a number of items associated with the Dark Ages and notable late Bronze Age items. The Manor Valley area is an important priority for collecting.
  • Treasure Trove panel allocations have included important material from excavations and field walking at the Roman fort site of Easter Happrew and a coin hoard found in the vicinity of Peebles. Roman material relating to Tweeddale and environs is an area of active collecting. The collecting interests of Trimontium Museum and partnership opportunities to work with or exhibit Roman history collections across South of Scotland will be considered.
  • The history of Peeblesshire in the medieval period is relatively well represented by objects and documents, with particular emphasis on the pre-Reformation churches. There are a number of items linked with the history of the Royal Burgh of Peebles and the Burgh Council in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. All the material found during the excavations in Bridgegate is held by the Museum.
  • The social history of the Victorian and Edwardian period is reasonably well represented through costume, educational material photography, maps, sporting and some domestic and recreational items. Peebles’ Beltane Festival material is well represented and includes loans. There is a small collection of material connected to the history of the textile industry in Peebles and environs and some items linked to farming and beekeeping in the area in the Innerleithen collection.
  • The material transferred from the Innerleithen Museum/Library collection formed by Innerleithen Community Council in the 1980’s has greatly increased the objects and archives associated with Innerleithen, Traquair and Glen in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Active collecting should continue in this area as space allows and work progresses towards development of a more unified Tweeddale collection.
  • Wartime, the inter war and post war periods are modestly covered. A number of First and Second World War exhibitions have produced interesting donations. Holdings of First World War material related to Tweeddale is more limited and therefore stil a priority for collecting.
  • There is a good small collection of world culture material based on items brought back by local people to Peebles and Innerleithen from Africa, the Far East and the Indian sub-continent.
  • There are important collections of literary material personalia, documents and portraits associated with William Chambers/ Robert Chambers and other small collections associated with John Buchan, James Hogg, Robert Burns, Mungo Park and George Meikle Kemp and other important local artists/sculptors. There is also a small collection including loan material on the history of St Ronan’s Wells as a spa/mineral water bottling site, and some important St Ronan’s Border Games/Silver Arrow competition material including loans and comprising trophies/medals, James Hogg related documents, civic and ceremonial objects. The importance of textile manufacturing is also represented in textile mill products, maps/plans, images and business archives associated with Innerleithen and Walkerburn trades/agriculture/industry. (Note: The John Buchan Story museum- a local adjacent independent museum in Peebles is now the primary collector of Buchan collections).

  Natural Sciences

  There is a significant collection of geological material, some good bird specimens and a small collection of insects, butterflies, and birds’ eggs in the Chambers Institution. As the bird and insect collections are virtually unprovenanced, they can be classed as non-scientific. There are also some items of Victorian “whimsical taxidermy”, in particular mounts portraying duelling taxidermy frogs, a duckbilled platypus and the wings of a flying fish. There are a small number of poor-quality specimens of local mammals requiring assessment by specialists to establish their scientific value, if any, which can be used for study purposes.

  Archive Material

  • While the Heritage Hub Archive is now the primary archive repository, Peebles Museum houses The Chambers Institution which has amassed a good collection of archival material associated with the Burgh/Peebleshire and Tweeddale. This includes maps and plans of local estates and the archives of a number of prominent local families gifted to the museum.
  • There is also a photographic archive, including prints, glass negatives and slides. There are some copies of early newspapers and a collection of local books and miscellaneous ephemera which could be digitised or passed to the Heritage Hub Archive for rationalisation to free up storage in Peebles. Likewise, good collections of relevant photographs and documents.

  Fine Art, Decorative Art and Applied Art

  In both the Chambers Institute and in storage at St Ronan’s Wells there is a small collection of oil, prints and water colour paintings, mostly portraits of local people and local scenes with some wider subject areas by notable artists or printmakers with Tweeddale connections as well as topographical representations of the district. These are mainly, though not exclusively, important for their local significance. The paintings collection of civic and local portraits originally hung in Rosetta Road is currently in storage.

  The art collection is of varying quality but there are a few notable and important works. However, works in the reserve collection have mainly, though not exclusively, been collected due to donors having local connections rather than having a strong alignment to core collecting principles in terms of quality or subject matter relevance. A number of these paintings are now in poor condition, with re-framing and cleaning required. The collection is in need of rationalisation and assessment against Collecting Policy to identify low value/low relevance and problematic works, in relation to the likely costs of conservation. There is a good collection of prints, drawings and engravings relating to local subjects, and a small collection of ceramics and silver. There is also a small but good quality collection of sculpture including a fine sculpture of Mary Queen of Scots and the much-loved Fiddy dog. Most notable are the plaster replicas of parts of the Parthenon Frieze/19th century Alexander frieze plaster casts, which are of significant importance.

  Jim Clark Motorsport Museum

  Existing Collections

  The existing collections started with the loan of trophies, awards, personalia, memorabilia and archives to Duns Town Council by the family of the late Jim Clark. Over the years this collection grew as a result of additional loans and a few donations. It also now contains the collection and loans plus a small collection of photographic material associated with other, more recent racing drivers, usually in the form of personal donations. The collection is displayed and stored in the newly refurbished Jim Clark Motorsport Museum.

  Coldstream Museum

  Existing Collections

  The existing collections are modest in scope and relate mainly to the social, domestic, working and recreation life of the Coldstream and area from the mid 19th century onwards. The collections relating to the Coldstream Guards are either on loan from their Regimental Museum in London or are replica pieces.

  Other collecting issues

  Collecting of Coldstream Guards material which has a direct link to the area is an area of collecting undertaken usually by the Regimental Museum in London. Where collection of such material was deemed desirable and feasible for SBC to acquire collections, there would be full consultation with the Regimental Museum in question.

  Duns Museum Collection Store Library Building,Newtown Street, Duns -General Berwickshire area Collecting

  Existing Collections

  • The existing collections are relatively modest in number and relate mainly to archaeology and the social, domestic, working, trade, sporting and recreation life of Berwickshire from the mid-19th century onwards. The collections have few particular strengths but do include some good local history material/small artworks of reasonable quality and need to be developed. Material related to John Duns Scotus is not well represented. There is only a minor fine art and sculpture collection due to storage limitations.
  • Collecting relating to Eyemouth and its environs is generally recognised as the responsibility of Eyemouth Museum but any important material under consideration for acquisition for the SBC Permanent Collection would normally be discussed with the Chair of Eyemouth Museum Trustees or successor organisation, for approval to acquire for SBC.

  Areas not covered by specific museums

  For the towns, villages and rural areas not which do not have their own locality museum, Live Borders Museums staff will continue to collect relevant material within resources and the guidelines and limitations of this policy, as storage space allows within the nearest locality museum.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2024

  Licence: CC BY-NC