The Golden Age of Glasgow Society: November 1895 – Glasgow School of Art Club Exhibition
An article on page 684 of The Gentlewoman (page 48, in The British Newspaper Archive), on Saturday the 23rd of November,
1895, reads:
“Glasgow School of Art Club Exhibition.
A BOLDLY designed poster in scarlet, purple, green, and yellow, by A. Webster,
placed outside the Fine Art Institute, called attention to the fact that the annual
exhibition of summer work by members of the Glasgow School of Art was being
held within from the 7th to the 11th inst.
Mr. Newbery is ever ready to encourage originality in his pupils, and this trait shows
itself most prominently in the designs, which, although not always free from the charge
of morbidity and eccentricity, are yet decorative and pleasing, and not infrequently give
evidence of fine genius.
An autumn landscape by W. G. Morton, entitled ‘Field-workers,’ was awarded the first prize
for figure composition. The drawing of the two men and two women in the foreground showed
great merit. A painting of four ‘Bulls,’ by A. Law, obtained the first prize for animal drawing. A.
R. Low contributed two ‘Heads,’ and other promising portraits were done by A. Allan, G. G.
Anderson, Emma Watson, Jessie R. Allan, C. Ferguson, James Gray, and Agnes Raeburn. Ugolin
Allan contributed a ‘Street Scene’ showing a girl with an umbrella up, being blown along by the
wind. A painting in which a table-cloth plays the most important part was sent by W. Shanks.
Some capital flower studies were painted by J. Algie, who also sent two groups of ‘Pansies’—one
water-colour and one oil; L. Pirman, ‘Nasturtiums’; K. Cameron, ‘Tulips’ and ‘Roses’; J. Aitken,
‘Roses and Sweet Peas’ and ‘Ox-eyed Daisies’; A. Raeburn, three canvases; Jessie Keppie, ‘Pansies’;
W. J. Keppie, ‘Marsh Mallows’; Margaret Macdonald, a pastel. The first prize for this class of work
was won by M. Muir Wood for her ‘Flower Study.’ Another water-colour by the same lady, ‘Blackthorn’
was also very good.
Margaret Macdonald sent a study in purple of three women by the sea-shore, and Frances Macdonald
had another in the same style. The first prize for etchings went to J. Bannatyne for three studies. Other
good black and white work was done by Susan F. Crawford, W. Gordon, R. J. Beaton, K. Cameron, and
W. Findlay.
There were plenty of more or less finished sketches, in colour and black and white, of landscapes, flowers,
heads, animals, trees, fruit, and buildings. J. P. Main had an ambitious water-colour of a river scene, and
there were two heads in low relief by the same student.
In the needlework department some beautiful work had been done by Miss Dunlop and her pupils. Mrs.
Rowat and the Misses Birrel, Buchanan, and Smith worked from their own designs. Two artistic sofa
cushions, designed respectively by Alice and Helen McCulloch, were worked by Isabella Liddell. Many
of the designs in this class are supplied by Mrs. Newbery, who is particularly happy in her ideas and
suggestions.
There was a paucity of wood-carving, but this was made up for by the brilliant show of beaten brass-work.
Some beautiful sconces were designed and carried out by Mary and Frances Macdonald, Emily Arthur,
Marion Wilson, and Lizzie Bell. Miss F. Macdonald also sent some charming beaten silver from her own
designs—a mirror and a quaint clock.
The first prize for stained glasswork was obtained by Jessie M. King, and other good work of this nature
was contributed by Edward Davidson from his own design, and by J. W. Guthrie, from designs by Leonard
Guthrie and J. H. McNair.
An original hall settle in wood, painted green, was executed by J. Guthrie, from a design by Charles R.
Mackintosh, and a curious wine chest was carried out by Hutchison & Grant, from designs supplied by J.
Herbert McNair.
There was also some pretty painted pottery by A. G. Cameron, Florence Faill, Emily Arthur, and E. Raeburn.
A handsome yachting cup, in a carefully thought-out design, by Christina Anderson, has been executed in silver
by Messrs. R. & W. Sorley, silversmiths, Buchanan-street.
The diplomas in connection with the School of Art were presented on the afternoon of the 7th by Professor
Cleland in the absence through illness of his wife. On the following evening Mr. and Mrs. Newbery gave an
‘At Home’ to the students and their friends, and the gathering was very gay and artistic. The invited guests
numbered about four hundred, and included Sheriff and Mrs Guthrie, Mrs. and the Misses Story, Mr. James
Fleming, chairman of the school; Mr. Paton, of the Art Galleries, and Mrs. Paton, Mr. and Mrs. MacLehose,
Mr. W. H. Macdonald, secretary to Hutcheson’s Educational Trust; the Rev. Dr. Watt, of Paisley; and the Rev.
Mr. Black.
Mrs. J. Maclaren looked handsome in a black lace dress trimmed with primrose-coloured silk; Mrs. Assafrey wore
a dainty striped silk gown; Miss McDonald was in black; Miss Underwood, who wore a black dress trimmed with
terra-cotta velvet, was, as usual, charmingly vivacious; Miss Smith, of Lenzie, looked charming in black; Miss Baxter
was becomingly attired in lilac silk covered with black net; Miss Wyper had on a black skirt with a yellow blouse;
Mrs. Newbery wore black satin trimmed with old lace; Miss H. Walton, a black skirt and a striped lilac silk blouse;
Miss C. Walton, a black skirt with a pink blouse; Mrs. George Walton was in lilac; Mrs. Stephen Williamson appeared
in handsome brocaded silk.
An admirable programme of music was sustained by the Misses Brash, Bowie, and McLaurin, and Messrs. Lindsay
Lamb, James Moir, Gideon Duncan, Schiller, and Gordon.
On the Saturday afternoon the students held a reception in the Exhibition rooms, and provided the music themselves.
Songs were well rendered by Miss Riddle, Miss Mitchell, and Messrs. Orr, McNaughton, and J. Gordon. Miss Turner
Smith, Miss Guthrie, and Mr. P. Gordon played pianoforte solos.”
I would love to know which of my great-aunts, Charlotte or Constance Turner Smith, played at the reception. At the time,
Charlotte taught pianoforte at the Glasgow Athenaeum’s School of Music. Constance was a student at Glasgow School of
Art.
The British Newspaper Archive.
George Fairfull-Smith, 2025.