Collection: Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collections belonging to the City of Edinburgh Council have, like many municipal collections, evolved in various ways over many decades, and have developed as the service has grown.

  Collecting by the Council began in the late 19^th century. The earliest acquisitions were archival elements of the Burns and Scott collections now at the Writers’ Museum. Acquisitions published in the Scotsman and the Council Minutes show that the Corporation was acquiring three dimensional artefacts from the city’s past. At this time, museums were concerned more with collecting items of municipal, institutional or national significance. The first publicly accessible Corporation Museum opened at the City Chambers in 1905. It subsequently moved to Lady Stairs House in 1913, and again in 1932 to Huntly House, now known as the Museum of Edinburgh.

  The collection included historical items, fine and decorative art, and objects relating to Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns, but eventually Fine Art, Decorative Art and the literary collections grew out as distinct collecting areas. The Museum of Childhood, Lauriston Castle and Queensferry Museum have always had discrete collections. Most recently, the opening of the People’s Story in 1989 was the driving force for the development of the social history collections, focussing on the lives and work of ordinary people in the city.

  The Museum of Childhood was founded by Councillor Patrick Murray in 1955. The museum has moved location several times but moved to the current location in 1957.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The general intention of this policy is to strengthen the scope of our existing collections by acquiring new objects, including through purchase, which fill identified gaps in collecting practice. For most collections, it is the strong personal stories linking the objects to people, places and events which give the greatest meaning and long-term benefit.

  Acquisitions may also be made of comparative material which complement or enhance our understanding of existing collections, such as associated events, people, contrasting materials, style and scope.

  The policy also strengthens the care provision to collections by establishing ongoing monitoring and reviewing of collections to assess if they are in the best possible care. This may at times require responsible transfer to other museums whose collecting policies may be more relevant, or have the specialist resources to better ensure long term preservation of a specific item.

  Applied Art

  This collection is largely concentrated at the Museum of Edinburgh, with small groups of objects on display at The Writers’ Museum, The People’s Story and the Museum of Childhood.

  The collection comprises five main elements:

  • Edinburgh and Canongate silver from the 17^th century to the present day;
  • Edinburgh glass from the late 18^th century to the present day;
  • Scottish pottery, particularly from south-east Scotland dating from the late 18^th century to the present day;
  • Edinburgh and Canongate long-case clocks; and
  • a small collection of Scottish jewellery from the 17^th century to the present day.

  The Applied Art Collection of silver, ceramic and glass at the Museum of Edinburgh has been Recognised as Nationally Significant (under the Scottish Government‘s National Recognition Scheme).

  Archaeology

  This collection comprises both archaeological material and the numismatics collection. The Archaeological collection currently spans over 10,500 years of human occupation across Edinburgh, from Scotland’s earliest settlers in the Mesolithic period (c.8500-4000 BC) through to the 20^th century.

  The collection’s strength lies in its comprehensive coverage of Roman Cramond, the medieval and post-medieval burghs of Leith and the Old Town, the remains of their medieval/post-medieval inhabitants, and 18^th-20^th century pottery from the Portobello Potteries.

  The small numismatics collection complements the archaeological collection and includes coins recovered from excavations (from Roman denarii to lateVictorian/ Edwardian coinage) in addition to Scottish coins, Scottish medals and communion tokens and a few commemorative medals. The Collections strength is its important collection of medieval coinage including items struck at the Edinburgh Mint and also a 15^th century coin hoard from Leith.

  It is noted that the archaeology collections can, and do, complement many of the objects held in the social history collections in particular the material from the excavations undertaken across the Portobello Potteries.

  Childhood Collection

  Accommodated in the Museum of Childhood, as well as the Museums Collection Centre, the City Chambers and Murrayburn Archive Store, the collection contains around 70,000 objects concerning every aspect of the concept of childhood.

  The main themes of the collection cover:

  • Community life: health and wellbeing; nursery, primary and secondary education; organised leisure groups, such as the Scouts and Guides and specialist interest clubs;
  • Domestic and family life: furniture, furnishings and tableware; clothing and household textiles; infant raising equipment; photographs and personalia. This category also covers a wide variety of toys, games and dolls (board, card, electronic and physical games; construction, optical, musical, occupational and transport toys, craft and hobby items, dolls’ houses and miniatures, dolls, soft toys, puppets, automata) as well as over 20 000 books, comics and magazines. Items of particular note include a mid-18^th century wooden doll, known as a Queen Anne doll, and the 18 room dolls’ house, Stanbrig Eorls; and
  • Personal life: costume, in particular, Christening gowns and costume for infants and young children from the late-19^th century to the mid-20^th century; school uniform; fancy dress costumes; uniform of organisations such as the Guides, Scouts, Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades; jewellery, fans and other dress accessories.

  The collection ranges in date from the 18^th century to the present day and continues to make contemporary acquisitions. The collecting focus is on British childhood experiences, including the reach into the British Empire and experiences abroad, and also includes some non-imperial international representation. The largest proportion of the collection is from the late 19^th and 20^th centuries representing the growth of manufacture of the subjects covered.

  Contact is made frequently with other Scottish museums which acknowledge the Museum of Childhood as the country’s leading repository for historical childhood items. In turn, the Museum of Childhood will direct items offered for sale or as donations which have a strong local significance to an appropriate local museum.

  The Museum of Childhood now represents the only UK based Museum of Childhood with a comprehensive breadth of collections, as other childhood collections have become theme or date specific. Consultations with other UK based childhood related collection holders are regularly made and the Young V&A and National Trust refer researchers towards the Museum of Childhood specialist collections.

  The nature of the Museum of Childhood collections mean they complement the social history collections and are often used for public programme joint projects. Community outreach and exhibition projects also often use the Childhood collections as they have a universal relatability. The History of Childhood is a growing academic field and increasingly researchers use the Museum of Childhood collections for examples of material culture.

  Fine Art

  The entire Scottish Art collection at the City Art Centre has been Recognised as a Nationally Significant Collection under the Scottish Government Recognition Scheme, managed by Museums Galleries Scotland.

  The Fine Art collection comprises oil and acrylic paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, tapestries and installation works. Ranging in date from the 17_th century to the present day, it consists mainly of works by Scottish artists, artists working in Scotland, and works with a strong Scottish connection. It covers a wide variety of subject-matter, including portraits and figure studies, landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes and abstract compositions.

  Although the collection is cared for at the City Art Centre, works are also displayed in the Museum of Edinburgh, the Writers’ Museum, the Museum of Childhood, the City Chambers and many other public buildings in the City of Edinburgh.

  The collection has five principal components:

  • Artworks that derive from the City’s original civic collection of paintings. These include portraits of notable Edinburgh figures, such as former Lord Provosts, and topographical views of the City;
  • Artworks that have been transferred to the City’s care from other art collections. These include works from the Scottish Modern Arts Association (presented in 1964), the Scottish Arts Council Collection (transferred in 1998), and the Edinburgh Schools Art Collection (transferred in 2011);
  • Artworks that have been acquired since 1962 with funds given, and later bequeathed, by Miss Jean F Watson. All acquisitions are approved by the Jean F Watson Bequest Committee;
  • Artworks that are accepted as donations from organisations and individuals; and
  • Artworks on long-term loan to the City for purposes of display and research (all long-term loans are subject to the terms and conditions of formal loan agreements).

  Lauriston Castle

  The Reid Bequest comprises Lauriston Castle, its contents and grounds, left in trust to the nation by Mr and Mrs W R Reid. Since Mrs Reid’s death in 1926, the Trust has been administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The collections at Lauriston in part consist of items brought from the Reid’s former home in Edinburgh. These collections form the basis of the furnishing in the house, but many further items were purchased, with specific locations or decorative purpose in mind, to create the outstanding Edwardian interior which characterises Lauriston Castle today.

  The Reids furnished the entire property, including the servants’ quarters, with items they considered appropriate, to create a unified decorative scheme. The Reid’s Trust specifically states that the interior should be preserved ‘as at the death of the survivor of us’, and consequently the Castle today remains a remarkable example of Edwardian taste.

  The collections comprise:

  • British and Continental furniture, including a fine collection of Southern Italian commodes;
  • Crossley Wool Mosaics;
  • urns and vases made from the Derbyshire Fluorspar known as Blue John;
  • Caucasian and near-Eastern rugs;
  • Scottish, English and French clocks;
  • a large collection of mezzotints and engravings;
  • a group of Italian flower paintings; and
  • an extensive collection of Sheffield Plate.

  Social History (including Queensferry and Newhaven)

  This collection tells the story of the people who have lived, or live and work in Edinburgh. It spans The People’s Story, the Museum of Edinburgh, Queensferry Museum and the collection associated with the former Newhaven Heritage Museum.

  The collection is limited to the geographical boundaries of the City of Edinburgh Council, which includes the Fife coastline from Joppa to South Queensferry, and the northernmost reaches of the Pentland Hills.

  The material of which it is made up encompasses four main subject areas:

  • Community life in Edinburgh (organisations such as Friendly Societies, cooperative movement, etc; political life in the city; local government and law enforcement; health, welfare and sanitation; education; entertainment, sport and public amenities; communications and currency; warfare and life in wartime; local cultural traditions, folklore and characters; faith and religious life; representation of all Edinburgh’s communities including black and other minority communities; LGBTQIA+ people);
  • Domestic and family life in Edinburgh (household life and work, furnishings and fittings; household management: food, drink and tobacco; and hobbies, crafts and leisure activities) from post-medieval times to the present day;
  • Personalia and dress history of Edinburgh people (personal records and photographs, personal souvenirs; dress; and personal care and well-being). A collection of historic tartan costume, portions of early tartan, prints, and items relating to the production of tartan were donated by J Telfer Dunbar in 1950; and
  • Industry and work in Edinburgh (labour organisations; agriculture and fishing; energy and water supply; mining; engineering and metalworking industries; manufacturing industries including food and drink, textiles, leather goods, footwear and clothing, timber and wooden furniture, printing and associated trades; rubber and plastics; construction trades; transport operations and communications; wholesale and retail distribution; hotels and catering; banking, finance, and insurance services; business services; cultural and recreational services and personal and domestic services). The collections include an impressive holding of trade union, political and friendly society banners and regalia.

  The Haig collection was donated by the second Earl Haig in 1960. It is based at the Museum of Edinburgh, and documents the life and military career of Field Marshal Earl Haig. It contains personal belongings (including uniforms, ceremonial costume, decorations, freedom caskets, manuscripts, books, paintings, drawings, prints and photographs).

  The Writers’ Museum

  The Robert Burns collection has been Recognised as a Nationally Significant Collection under the Scottish Government Recognition Scheme, managed by Museums Galleries Scotland, and in partnership with other collections in the Burns Scotland group of museums.

  The Writers’ Museum collection comprises personal belongings, manuscripts, early editions, commemorative items, paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture relating to Edinburgh’s literary life and key writers, authors and poets.

  Historically the collections have been primarily associated with Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

  The Stevenson Collections contains photograph albums compiled by the author, his family and friends. The Scott section includes items relating to the Scott Monument and its architect, George Meikle Kemp. The material associated with Robert Burns forms part of the Robert Burns Collection (which is distributed across Scotland).

  There are a small number of items and books relating to Muriel Spark, Dorothy Dunnett and other contemporary writers.

  Handling Collections

  A variety of objects are lent out in the form of handling collections. These are administered by the Learning and Access Service (currently based at the City Art Centre) and the Museum of Edinburgh. They are used for a variety of purposes including reminiscence with older people, handling sessions with children, informal learning sessions with a range of audiences, and community exhibitions. The handling collections offer hands-on sensory engagement for communities with our collections.

  These are non-core collections and consist of non-accessioned duplicate items, specifically collected or purchased items and replicas.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC