Collection: Culture Perth and Kinross

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Perth Museum & Art Gallery

  The history of Perth Museum & Art Gallery collection and building begins with the Literary & Antiquarian Society of Perth, which was founded in 1784. Its collections are amongst the oldest in public ownership and include an important body of ethnographic material, much of it acquired during the first half of the 19th century by men who left Perth as soldiers, sailors, ship’s surgeons, diplomats or travellers.

  The Perthshire Society of Natural Sciences also played an important part in establishing its current holdings. Founded in 1867, it opened a Natural History Museum in Perth in 1883. In 1902 and 1914 both collections were transferred to Perth Town Council. In 1926 major bequests of paintings and funds of Robert Brough and Robert Hay Robertson enabled the substantial extension of the Literary & Antiquarian Museum to include art galleries and lecture rooms. It was opened in 1935 and now houses the collections of both earlier museums as well as many more recent acquisitions.

  Alyth Museum

  The origins of the small local history museum at Alyth in north east Perthshire lie with the establishment of a library following a bequest from the late Hon William Ogilvy of Loyal in1870. Alyth Folk Museum came into existence a century later after the library building had been vacated. Finding a future use for the redundant building, it was agreed that it would be suitable to establish a folk museum within the framework of the Loyal Alyth Public Library Trust. It is currently held in Trust by the Local Authority under a Cy Pres scheme approved by the Court of Session in 1981. Collections not on display are housed in Perth Museum & Art Gallery and managed and cared for along with the reserve collections.

  The Fergusson Gallery

  The Fergusson Gallery building was originally built in 1832 as Perth’s first water works. Since 1992, the Grade A listed building has housed a significant collection of work by the Scottish artist John Duncan Fergusson, plus an associated archive. The collection was gifted by the J D Fergusson Art Foundation, along with the copyright of Fergusson’s work. In 2010 this was joined by a substantial archive relating to the life and work of his partner, the modern dance pioneer, Margaret Morris.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Fine Art

  The Fine Art collection owes its existence largely to the 1926 bequests of local patrons Robert Hay

  Robertson and Robert Brough, although the first painting entered the collection as early as 1785. The Fine Art collection is international in its scope and numbers over 4,000 items. The greatest strength of the Fine Art collection is its holding of Scottish works, which is particularly rich in 19th century paintings, including pictures by local artists, local topographical views and portraits of local individuals.

  There are also a number of key works of the earlier 20th century, but by far the most important representation for this period is the exceptionally rich collection of artwork and archive pertaining to the life and work of John Duncan Fergusson. This was further strengthened since its donation in 1992, with examples of work by those in his social circle in Glasgow in the mid-20th century and the vast Margaret Morris Archive pertaining to the artist, dancer and choreographer, with whom his life was so closely associated.

  Scottish Art

  Key pictures in the Scottish Art collection include three oil paintings by John Everett Millais, Loch Katrine by Horatio McCulloch and D Y Cameron’s The Wilds of Assynt.

  The donation of artworks, including examples by John Maxwell, James Cowie, Sir William Gillies, Jack Knox, Robert Colquhoun and Ian Hamilton Finlay (via the Scottish Arts Council Bequest of 1998) helped fill several notable gaps in the 20th century collection and added significant pictures.Other important 20th century artists represented in the collection include Joan Eardley, Joyce Cairns, John Bellany, John Byrne, William Crosbie, Barbara Rae, Doug Cocker, Claire Harkess, Derrick Guild and Donald Urquhart.

  The Scottish drawing and print collection includes examples by Muirhead Bone, Duncan Robertson, Peter Kirley, Philip Reeves, Marj Bond, Calum Mackenzie and Campbell Sandilands.

  During the 1990s the collection was enhanced by a quantity of archival material of relevance to local artists, including the diary of Blairgowrie artist William Geddes and the travel diary of John Milne Purvis of Perth. Where such material survives it can contribute significantly to our understanding of the activities of an individual artist and throw insight into their contemporaries, lifestyle and specific era.

  British and Foreign Schools

  The Fine Art collection has a comparatively small amount of non-Scottish picture, but contains some very important works which are of strong local relevance, such as the oil paintings by Edwin Henry Landseer and John Everett Millais and the watercolours by Helen Beatrix Potter. Other English artists such as Copley Fielding and Sutton Palmer are also represented by local topographical views.

  Also of note are Dutch and Flemish paintings and a number of French works which include two important drawings by Millet and oils by Courbet and Boudin. There are also early Italian paintings and occasional 19th century Italian, Hungarian and Chilean pieces.

  The Dutch and French collection reflects the close ties between Scotland and these countries, especially in the development of 19th century Scottish painting and the collecting of contemporary Dutch examples by Scottish collectors.

  In addition there is a small but strong collection of Japanese woodblock prints which were also influential in the development of western art in the late 19th century.

  The Fergusson Collection and Margaret Morris Archive

  The Fergusson Gallery Collection is of international significance. The collection includes over 4,000 individual works of art, comprising oil paintings, works on paper, sketchbooks and sculpture by Scottish artist, J D Fergusson, who is now celebrated as one of the leading figures in the development of European Modernism in the first half of the 20th century. Key items include large scale paintings such as At My Studio Window, Etude de Rhythm, Christmas Time in the South of France numerous selfportraits and the sculpture titled Eastre, Hymn to the Sun.

  In addition, the collection includes a substantial related archive consisting of around 6,000 items, such as press cuttings, letters, photographs, exhibition catalogues periodicals, magazines and Fergusson’s personal library books.

  In 2010 acceptance of the major gift of the Margaret Morris Archive effectively doubled the Fergusson Gallery collection. The Margaret Morris Archive includes oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, sketches, photographs, costume, costume and stage set designs and much archival material relating to the life of the modern dance pioneer, Margaret Morris, who was also J D Fergusson’s partner.

  There is also a small collection of works of art relating to Fergusson’s circle in Glasgow in the 1940s and 1950s. Plus an increasing collection of contemporary work (paintings, mixed media, sculpture and ceramics) by winners of the J D Fergusson Arts Award, since its inaugural award in 1997.

  Sculpture

  The sculpture collection numbers less than 100 items, many on a small scale. Key items are an important life-size marble figure of Paris by John Gibson, two key pieces by Eric Gill, and a group of bronzes and maquettes by Alfred Gilbert. Local sculptors are represented by Lawrence Macdonald, Mary Grant, George Washington Andrew Kinloch Smyth, Alastair Ross, Evelyn Temple, Duncan Robertson and John Hunter. The collection also includes pieces of relevance to the area, such as the bust of William Soutar by Benno Schotz, that of Alex MacDuff of Bonhard by William Brodie, the bronze bust of Hamish Henderson by Anthony Morrow or the maquettes for some pieces of public art within Perth and Kinross. Also included are contemporary sculpture-boxes by local artists Doug Cocker, Susan Mear, Grant Clifford and Fred Stiven.

  Illustrated Books

  Over the years a number of illustrated volumes have been acquired for the collection where they broaden an understanding of a specific artist (for example a book illustrated by William McCance who is represented by individual prints in the collection). They are acquired also where they are of relevance to the Perth and Kinross area (for example books containing plates of local topography which may be represented otherwise only by odd individual plates in the collection, such as Thomas Campbell’s Tour in Scotland). Other volumes have been acquired which are inscribed by, and occasionally decorated by local artists. Finally there are those books written and illustrated by local artists such as the volumes of poetry by Douglas Spens Steuart.

  Applied Art

  The Applied Art collection encompasses a wide variety of objects and materials. The collections of Perth silver and Perthshire glass are unsurpassed in terms of national importance. The ceramics collection contains significant collections of Staffordshire flat-back figures and Martinware studio pottery as well as a collection of studio pottery, produced by potters native to or resident in the Perth and Kinross area. Other smaller collections include furniture, timepieces, oriental and other items.

  The non-Perth applied art objects enhance and complement the Perth material by providing examples which illustrate the evolution of style and allow material to be placed in an art historical context. The Applied Art collection represents quality contemporary crafts from Scotland, with emphasis on local makers, to illustrate Scotland’s rich indigenous crafts tradition.

  Glass

  This includes laboratory and lighting glassware manufactured by Moncrieff’s of Perth, examples of Monart and Vasart glass made in Perth c1924-1962 and the Ross collection of paperweights, the majority of which are of local manufacture. The collection also includes historic and contemporary material of local manufacture or relevance produced by Perthshire Paperweights, Strathearn Glass, Paul Ysart, Colin Terris, Stuart Strathearn and Caithness Glass.

  In addition to local glass the collection contains Venetian Glass and about 100 pieces of British glass (mainly 19th century in date) and a small selection of modern studio glass of Scottish origin.

  Contemporary has been purchased from smaller glass workshops and local makers located in the Perth and Kinross area. Key contemporary pieces include Carrie Fertig’s life sized Black-faced Sheep and Glare by Rachel Elliot.

  As well as finished items, material related to the process of glass making has been acquired, including objects in stages of production, millefiori and picture canes, motifs for paperweights and tools.

  Silver

  There are over 500 pieces of silver which date from the 17th to the 21st centuries. Over half of the items are of Perth manufacture, including important items by local historic makers as well as contemporary examples. These are complimented by non-Perth material, which are illustrative of the wider evolution of styles and decoration. They include examples from Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, London, and some foreign material from Holland, Norway, America, Sweden and India.

  Ceramics

  The most comprehensive element of the ceramics collection is modern pottery, background information and ephemera produced by or connected with potters active in Perth and Kinross. This was actively collected from 1989, with over 180 items by 13 studio potters acquired plus 26 items by the commercial pottery of A W Buchan and Company. Historic pottery made or decorated in the Perth area has also been acquired.

  The collection also includes 19th century Scottish and English ceramics. This includes a collection of

  Staffordshire flat-back figures and about 50 pieces of Southall and London ceramics by the notable Martin Brothers as well as other occasional pieces of significance or rarity. There are also a small number of foreign pieces.

  Furniture and Timepieces

  There are about 80 pieces of furniture (excluding long case clocks) which stem largely from the Sir D Y Cameron and Lady Riddell bequests of 1946.

  There are a collection of 18 long case clocks, including a very fine local musical example and a chinoiserie laquered case clock by Quare and Horsman. There are also a small number of pocket watches (some with local watchpapers in situ) and assorted other clocks, or clock parts, including the Perth Town clock face by Toschack. The majority of the long case clocks and some of the other items are by local clockmakers, or are otherwise associated with Perth and Kinross.

  Metalwork (non-silver)

  This group of material includes brass, copper, pewter and plated wares (it excludes objects made from silver and silver gilt which are covered earlier). Included in the collection are a number of pieces of the unrivalled and important group of church plate from St John’s Kirk in Perth, including pewter vessels, which was acquired in 2003 with generous financial assistance from the heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund. It also incorporates secular material such as presentation gifts and trophies and communion plate, mostly of local manufacture or association.

  Oriental

  This collection is small and disparate. Most important, is a small but highly significant collection relating to the Ainu people of Northern Japan. It also includes material from India, China, Burma, Nepal, Formosa, Persia, Turkey, Egypt and Tibet (excluding ceramics and Japanese prints which are dealt with above). Objects range from carved, marble deities and large brass Buddha figures to personal ornaments, weapons, and models of human figures, animals and houses.

  History

  Social History

  The rich and varied Social History collection of over 7,500 items covers a wide range of material from c1600 to the present day. A large proportion of the social history collection has a direct association with the Perth and Kinross area. It includes industrial and agricultural machinery, modes of transport and communication, shop fittings, photographic and textile equipment, models, medical, musical and scientific instruments, commemorative and ornamental items, toys, games and sports equipment, weights and measures, religious and educational items and everyday domestic material.

  Archaeology

  The archaeological collection spans a chronology encompassing approximately 10,000BC to AD 1700 and comprises Scottish, British and international material. Scottish and British material is generally confined to individual items or small groups of objects relating to the area of Perth and Kinross. The exceptions are the site archives for excavations and watching briefs on medieval sites in Perth from the 1970s onwards.

  The amount and the quality of this medieval material make it the major area of importance within the archaeology collections and of national and international significance. With the exception of the Medieval period the collection remains weak particularly for the Iron Age, Roman and early historic periods.

  The individual finds in the collection were historically acquired by donation, with a small number of purchases. The majority are now acquired as purchases through the allocation by the Crown Office via Scottish Treasure Trove Law. Formerly excavation assemblages were allocated via the Finds Disposal Panel but this has now been combined with the Treasure Trove Panel, forming the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel, which deals with all allocations.

  The British archaeology also includes good collections of Bronze Age pottery and metalwork and good collections of flint donated by James Roberts and Mary Boyle in 1962.

  The international archaeology comprises a small collection of Cypriot pottery and glass bequeathed by Melville-Gray in 1946, a small collection of Egyptian material (notably a Mummy and its sarcophagus), and a collection of prehistoric flints from Somalia donated by Seton-Karr in 1903.

  Arms and Armour

  This is a varied collection of 450 British and foreign firearms, swords and daggers, staff weapons, shot and powder flasks and armour. It includes a small collection of arms donated by Sir William Burrell in 1940 and a bequest by Melville-Gray in 1946. The collection contains some notable pieces, for example, a pair of pistols by McNab of Rannoch and one Highland targe in excellent condition.

  Costume and Textiles

  This collection includes 3,000 individual items or groups of items and comprises costume, textiles and accessories.

  Notable items include local militia uniforms; a 17th century Perth dance costume; a Perth Incorporation banner of 1604; a 17th century tablecloth (which is an early Scottish example of weaving and dyeing) and an important gent’s slashed silk doublet of the early 1620s. The collections of shawls, samplers, banners and fans are also significant.

  The collection comprises mainly ladies costume with some notable 18th century Spittalfield silk dresses, but gents’ costume includes a collection of theatrical costume worn by the actor Sir John Martin Harvey. It is strong in ladies’ costume for the period 1940-1970 but there is a marked absence of material for the period 1800-1850 and earlier.

  Books and Archives

  The large collection of printed books and journals dates from the 17th century to the present day. It includes books that were part of the free library set up by the Literary & Antiquarian Society of Perth and books acquired by the Perth Town Council Museum Service since 1900. The library of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science is also housed within Perth Museum & Art Gallery under a legal agreement between the Society and Perth & Kinross Council (but does not form part of the Museum’s collections).

  The archive comprises over 4,000 catalogued archives or groups of archival items. They include manuscript, and printed material, bound volumes, bundles of archives and a number of framed and glazed items. There is also a collection of 550 maps and plans and a collection of 180 posters.

  The archives are mainly of local relevance and include the papers of one of the forerunners of today’s Museums & Galleries Service – the Literary and Antiquarian Society of Perth, 1784-1914. Other notable items include archives of the Hammermen and Wrights Incorporations of Perth, the William de Brailes illuminated Bible (c1240); the Sermons of Jacques de Vitry (15th century); and a book of hours, possibly French (15th century).

  Archival material acquired in recent years is primarily ephemera associated with the Perth and Kinross area which complements the other social history collections, eg Stagecoach bus tickets or archives relating to the history of the Museums & Galleries Service and its collections.

  Coins, Medals and Stamps

  The numismatic collection includes Scottish and British coinage, Classical coinage, trade and church tokens and also medals, stamps, seals and a number of miscellaneous items such as beggars’ badges.

  The Church tokens mainly comprise a collection of communion tokens donated by D L Edwards in 1951.

  The collection also includes a representative collection of military medals and some commemorative medals.

  The stamp collection is mainly composed of a collection bequeathed by Spence-Smith in 1951 of mostly British material with some foreign stamps and some early postmarks.

  Photography

  The Photography collection includes examples of many of the photographic processes used since photography’s invention.

  These include examples of the earliest processes; the Daguerreotype and calotype. The latter being the work of renowned photographic pioneers D O Hill (an artist of Perth origin) and Robert Adamson.

  A significant collection of collodion wet plate negatives created by Perth photographer Magnus Jackson comprising circa 2,500 images forms the earliest photographic record of Perth and Perthshire. Amongst the varied subject matter his award-winning tree portraits are of particular note.

  Other collections of note include a series of dry plate negatives comprising postcard views of Perthshire taken by several local photographers between 1903 and 1923. Wood & Son Printers, Perth, published these as the Woodall Series of black and white and hand coloured postcards.

  A recently acquired collection of over 13,000 (mostly glass) negatives taken between 1927 and 1993 from the business of D Wilson Laing Photographers, Blairgowrie is a powerful record of life in Eastern Perthshire.

  Our biggest single collection of images comprises around 100,000 negatives taken from 1948 to the 1990s by Perth freelance press businesses Alex Cowper, and later Louis Flood Photographers.

  There are also significant collections of lantern slides (mainly accumulated by previous museum curators for educational purposes), prints, albums and postcards. Notable amongst the albums is one from 1903 which commemorates the formation of the Scottish Photographic Federation, an event which took place on 17 January 1903 in the Natural History Museum on Tay Street.

  The photography collections are a unique medium in themselves, as a social document, in their ability to record changes in the environment and in their facility to enhance other collections and provide a powerful medium of interpretation.

  World Cultures

  The World Cultures or Ethnography collection was built on a nucleus of material donated to the Literary & Antiquarian Society of Perth in the early 19th century. Of these donations there were two notable collections made by Dr Ramsay and presented in 1825 and Colin Robertson, presented in 1833. Significant donations made in the 20th century include collections donated by Dixon in 1917 and Woodward in the 1950s.

  There are over 1,300 individual items or groups of items in the collection; over half are from Oceania, the remainder being American and African. Notable pieces include a rare Tahitian mourner’s costume, a unique Kakapo feather cloak from New Zealand and a collection of important items from North America including Salish cloaks, a Chilkat apron, Haida argillite carvings and Salish bracelets and combs.

  The World Cultures collection was published in catalogue form in 1980 and 2 Toi Moko were repatriated by Perth & Kinross Council to Te Papa (The National Museum Service of New Zealand) in 2005.

  Natural History

  This large and important collection of zoological, botanical and geological material totals around 150,000 specimens. It is the 6th largest collection of natural history in Scotland. The richness of the collection is largely thanks to the founding of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science in 1867 and the opening of the Perthshire Natural History Museum in 1881.

  A major focus for the collections has always been to collect and preserve specimens and information covering the wildlife and geology of Perthshire and Kinross-shire. Locally collected specimens serve as vouchers for published studies. The historical collections also have considerable comparative material from elsewhere in Scotland and Britain and from overseas.

  For ease of consideration the Natural History collection has been sub-divided into zoology, botany and geology.

  The Natural History collections also include local environmental records that document the occurrence of plant and animal species and sites of wildlife or geological interest.

  Perth Museum & Art Gallery holds a certificate under European Council Regulation No 338/97 and European Commission Regulation 939/97 on the protection of species, enabling it to hold and display specimens of Annex A species listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna). It also holds a licence under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994 to possess any European Protected Species for science, research or educational purposes.

  Zoology

  Mammals

  This collection consists of about 500 specimens of which the majority are British and collected in Perthshire. It includes a British skin collection, mounted trophy heads, British and exotic mounts.

  Birds

  The bird collection comprises about 2,500 taxidermy mounts and about 1,300 study skins. This is a representative collection of British taxa and the collection is strong in specimens from Perthshire.

  The most important collection is the study skins of John Guille Millais (1865-1931). There are good examples of the work of local and well known taxidermists including Charles Kirk (1872-1922) and George Hart (d 1940?), a taxidermist with the Perth firm of P D Malloch. The overseas material includes a notable collection from Paraguay obtained from local collector, William Foster (1873-1915) and smaller collection from Ecuador. There are about 2,000 British eggs, about 200 foreign clutches or single eggs, and about 200 nests. A further strength is the specimens of casual visitors and rare species in Perthshire and Angus.

  Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles

  This small group of collections contains about 200 fish, reptiles and amphibians. The fish collection is lacking in representative specimens of smaller local species, though it contains notable examples of local game fish prepared by the Perth taxidermy firm of P D Malloch.

  The amphibian and reptile collection is not large and consists largely of foreign specimens with a few local specimens preserved in spirit.

  Skeletal Collection

  This collection consists about 700 specimens of articulated and disarticulated animal skeletons and single bones or skulls of vertebrates. There is a mixture of British and foreign material. The largest skeleton is that of the extinct moa from New Zealand. The collection includes an articulated human skeleton, skull and detached bones. These are commercial preparations and have no known association with any particular community.

  Invertebrates

  This is the largest collection, comprising over 95,000 specimens from many sources. Particular strengths are the collections of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and Hemiptera (true bugs).

  Some invertebrate groups such as insects and molluscs are well represented, while others, such as spiders, are poorly represented.

  The Lepidoptera collection contains about 40,000 specimens, with the majority from Britain, Scotland and Perthshire. There are approximately 5,000 foreign specimens. The most important collection is that of Francis Buchanan White (1842-1894). The strong Perthshire collection is the largest and most complete of its kind and includes voucher specimens of Scottish rarities. Other important named collections are those of Samuel Ellison (d 1939), Sir Thomas Moncreiffe (1822-1879) and David Coates (d 1980). The Coates collection contains specimens collected between 1960 and 1980 around Stirling and Aberfoyle.

  The Hemiptera collection contains 8,280 specimens collected around the world with about 3,000 from Britain. Material came from collectors in New Zealand, Brazil, France, Madeira and the East Indies, including specimens from Alfred Russell Wallace (1823-1919), who co-discovered the theory of evolution. It is the most significant insect collection at Perth because it includes 13 type specimens and associated series of overseas specimens. The collection was brought together by the leading Scottish naturalist, Francis Buchanan White (1842-1894).

  The mollusc collection is a large and representative collection of 20,000 specimens of 1,940 species. The collection is the 5th largest mollusc collection in Scotland. Henry Coates (1859-1935) published a catalogue of the collection in 1925 and was a major donor. The British land and freshwater mollusca (1,108 specimens) were collected between 1832 and 2006. There are good voucher specimens, including rarities, for Perthshire and other parts of Britain. The British marine shells total 871 specimens. They were collected in the period 1857 to1925. There are 17,000 specimens in the collection of foreign land, freshwater and marine shells. Main provenances are the Andes, Guyana, New Hebrides, West Indies, Red Sea, Philippines, Eastern Seas and the Arctic.

  Botany

  The botanical collections comprise about 45,000 specimens consisting of a large herbarium of vascular plants and a small collection of fungi and non-vascular plants. This is the 5th largest botanical collection in Scotland.

  The vascular plants are housed in a number of named herbaria.

  The ‘Perthshire’ herbarium is a significant resource of voucher specimens for Perthshire on which the published ‘Flora of Perthshire’ is based. This is the largest collection of Perthshire plants in the world. The ‘Perthshire’ herbarium contains 12,931 specimens collected in the three Perthshire vice-counties. They were collected from 1810 to 2001, with the main period of collecting being 1868-1893 by Francis Buchanan White (1842-1894) and other members of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science.

  The ‘Balfour’ herbarium contains about 14,000 specimens of which approximately 50% are from

  Scotland, 25% from England, and the final 25% from overseas, including France, Italy, Switzerland, India, USA and Australia. The specimens were collected from 1765-1873, with the main period of collecting being 1821-1862. The collection was presented to the Literary & Antiquarian Society of Perth in 1880 and came from the ‘botany classroom’ of the University of Edinburgh, at the Botanic Garden, where it was used as a teaching collection.

  The ‘Non-Perthshire’ herbarium contains about 6,000 specimens from Britain and Europe.

  The ‘Buchanan White’ Willow Herbarium contains 2,600 specimens of Willows (Salix) collected in Perthshire, other parts of Scotland and Britain. Buchanan White was a willow specialist and in 1889 published a ‘Revision of British Willows’.

  Specimen data for significant elements of the Herbaria collections are accessible via the internet on http://herbariaunited.org/

  Geology

  Rocks

  The rock collection consists of about 2,000 specimens from Perth and Kinross, Britain and Europe. In general, local rock types are well represented, though coverage of British sedimentary rocks for comparison is poor. Foreign specimens consist mainly of ornamental types and volcanic rocks from Vesuvius.

  Minerals

  This collection of about 3,000 specimens contains a high proportion of non-local material, for example, specimens from Russia, Australia and America.

  Fossils

  The Fossil collection includes about 2,500 specimens from Perth and Kinross and Britain and contains specimens of historical and scientific importance. The most significant and rare specimens are fossils collected in Angus, Perthshire and Fife including Carboniferous plants, Lower Devonian eurypterids (sea-scorpions), fish, plants and alga, and Pleistocene mammals such as elk, beaver and aurochs.

  Models

  The Museums & Galleries Service possesses 200 models that were originally acquired for display purposes. Many are of a very high quality and are of historic interest. They include botanical models by Brendel, glass models of invertebrates by Blaschka and plaster models of protists by Fric.

  Environmental Records

  The Museums & Galleries Service holds biological and geological information relating to sites, habitats, strata and the distribution of the flora and fauna in Perth and Kinross. This data increases the understanding of our environment and contributes to its conservation. The Museums & Galleries Service is unable to resource an Environmental Records Centre. In the absence of a dedicated records centre for this part of Scotland we will continue to act as a holding archive for such records until such time as a dedicated centre becomes established.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2019

  Licence: CC BY-NC