April 1886: Letter to the “North British Daily Mail” – Museum and Art Galleries – Risk of Fire in the Corporation Buildings

Bearing in mind the 2014 and 2018 fires in Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building, and the impact on

neighbouring properties in Sauchiehall Street, a very interesting letter was published on page two of the North

British Daily Mail, on Saturday the 3rd of April, 1886. It reads:

 

“MUSEUM AND ART GALLERIES.

Sir,—It was proposed some time ago to acquire that piece of ground in Sauchiehall Street near Dalhousie

Street as a site for buildings to be erected and used as art galleries and museum. The ground is, I think, in

every way suitable for the purpose, and the collection of pictures and art treasures in the Corporation Galleries

could be removed there. The Corporation Galleries are not safe if an outbreak of fire were to take place in any of

the shops beneath. There should be no shops in a building where such valuable pictures, &c., are kept. The only

museum Glasgow has, and it is a small one, is the Kelvingrove Museum at the West-End Park, This museum, in

my opinion, is too far away from the centre of the city, and the new scheme of building a structure which could

be made fireproof is a very acceptable one. At Edinburgh they have a very fine museum situated in Chambers

Street, in which there is a large collection of art treasures, and I cannot see why Glasgow, which is a much larger

city than Edinburgh, is so far behind in a matter of this kind. Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, of the South Kensington

Museum, London, was, I believe, very favourable to the plan I have mentioned being seriously considered.—

I am, &c.,

R. McD.

 

 

 

The British Newspaper Archive.

 

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, June 2025.