SOLD OUT Talk: Exploring the William Graham Collection at the Mitchell Library

Posted January 10th 2024

Black and white photograph of William Graham on the banks of the Kelvin.

Thursday 8th Feb 2024 | 6:30-7:30pm | The Mitchell Library (Moir/Dyer Simpson Room)

William Graham, born in 1845, lived most of his life in the Springburn area of Glasgow. He was employed as a printer with Bell and Bain, going on to work for the North British Railway Company as an engine driver and locomotive fireman.

His life-long hobby was photography so in 1893, when he was suspended following a railway strike, he left his job as an engine driver and took up the full-time profession of photographer, which he continued until his death in 1914.

He was known for his topographical knowledge of Glasgow and was an original member of the Old Glasgow Club.

A collection of his photographs and negatives was acquired in 1916 and is housed in the Mitchell Library, Glasgow.

Clare Thompson, Librarian at The Mitchell Library, will share information about his life and career, and some rare images from the collection.

Free, donations welcome, booking essential.

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Each year, our events help over 2000 people to understand and appreciate Glasgow's irreplaceable built heritage. Can you help us to reach more people?

We are hugely grateful for the support of our Friends whose subscriptions help cover the costs of these events, thereby ensuring accessible pricing for everyone in Glasgow in these challenging times.

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our Friends scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

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Tour: Glasgow Art Club Sold Out

Posted November 17th 2023

A gold door plate that says 'Glasgow Art Club'

Thursday 25th January 2024 | 14:30-16:00 | Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HU

Ever wondered what lies behind the doors of 185 Bath Street?

Steeped in culture and heritage, Glasgow Art Club has long been a private meeting place for generations of the city’s most innovative and creative inhabitants.

Now, we are giving you the chance to see behind the scenes of one of Glasgow’s best kept secrets!

In 1893 two adjacent town houses on Bath Street were transformed by architects Honeyman & Keppie, employing Charles Rennie Mackintosh, into the magnificent Clubhouse which stands today. The Grade A-Listed Clubhouse is resplendent with historically significant interior features – many of which were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh when he was but 25 years old.

Recent extensive refurbishment, with substantial financial aid from The Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland and generous contributions from private donors, has resulted in restoration of the Club’s large Gallery to its original Victorian splendour.

A must-see attraction for all Mackintosh enthusiasts is the recently recreated Mackintosh Frieze. Painted in 1893, the stencilled artwork was Mackintosh’s first major public work and the centrepiece of the club’s Gallery, but due to water damage it was eventually plastered and painted over. A group of nationally recognised experts in the work of Mackintosh, in combination with a notable Scottish artist and a firm specialising in restoration work, have combined to produce the stunning visual experience now on show.

The Club also boasts an impressive collection of fine art paintings, sculpture and prints – much of which has never been on show to the public before. The collection includes work by Robin Hume, David Donaldson, Emilio Coia, Alexander Goudie, Bet Low and Francis Newbury. The Scottish Portrait Awards Exhibition will be on at this time giving you the opportunity to see some of the best portrait artists living and working in Scotland.

The tour will last for 1 hour with time for teas, coffees and biscuits beforehand.

£16 per person, booking essential.

Ceramic Tile Making Course

Posted November 17th 2023

A photo of four hexagonal ceramic tiles with a colourful, abstract pattern.

Friday 26th January – Friday 16th February 2024 | 18:30-20:30* | Glasgow Ceramic Studio, 77 Hanson Street, Glasgow, G31 2HF

Love tiles? Fancy the chance to create your own?

Tiles are a unique element of Glasgow’s built heritage which have adorned our closes and homes for centuries.

Glasgow City Heritage Trust have teamed up with Glasgow Ceramic Studio and artist Alison Gray to deliver a practical course to to create your very own set of handmade tiles! The course will take place on a Friday evening for 4 weeks.

Join us for a chance to learn more about ceramic tiles as you experiment with colour, shape and surface treatment.

The cost of the 4 evening sessions is £150 per person. Price includes clay, glaze, plaster and two kiln firings. Space is limited to 10 places, booking essential.

We encourage you to bring along your own designs and materials for inspiration, or alternatively just have fun and experiment as you go!

Alison Gray, Glasgow Ceramic Studio, is a ceramic artist who has been working with clay for over twenty years. She has a long interest in tiles used in homes and Victorian buildings and has created tiles for kitchens and school wall plaques.

Breakdown of each week:

Week 1: Friday 26th January, 18:30- 20:30 – Introduction and Learning
In this first session you will be introduced to Glasgow Ceramic Studio and start to get familiar with handling clay. We will take a look at some examples of how tiles have been used throughout history, with particular reference to Glasgow’s rich tile heritage. Then it’s time to experiment with a variety of different making techniques for cutting, creating images, surfaces and textures, to create your master tile ready for replication.

Week 2: Friday 2nd February, 18:30- 21:30* – Plaster Mould Making
This session will focus on creating a plaster mould of your tile design so that in week 3 we can produce multiple replicas ready for glazing and firing. Alison will guide you through the process of creating a frame and mixing the plaster prior to creating your very own tile mould.

*Please note the duration of this session will be up to 3 hours

Week 3: Friday 9th February, 18:30- 20:30 – Tile Reproduction
With plaster moulds created, it is now time to set the production line in motion to create your set of identical tiles. These will then be bisque fired ready for adding a colour in week 4.

Week 4: Friday 16th February, 18:30-20:30 – Decoration & Finishing
After a run through of some basic decorating techniques, now is the time to bring your tiles to life by adding some colour. Once the tiles are decorated Alison will then glaze fire your pieces ready for collection at a later date.

Annie’s Loo: Flushing Out the Past & Retrofitting for the Future

Posted November 3rd 2023

An old photo of a group of people standing on a Glasgow street

Wednesday 29th November 2023 | 7-8pm | Fairfield Heritage, Govan, G51 4XS

Join Raymond Young, who literally wrote the book on Annie’s Loo, and Carmen Lean from Loco Home Retrofit to hear more about the history of Annie’s Loo and how we can make tenement retrofit accessible.

Raymond will kick things off by discussing Annie’s Loo, which might not have been the first tenement retrofit, but the way it was carried out effectively kick started a programme throughout inner city Glasgow and beyond. He’ll discuss the context, the process, and the outcome. And maybe the future?

We’ll then hear from Carmen Lean of Loco Home Retrofit who will talk about Glasgow’s checkered history of retrofit and how we can learn from successes, failures and everything in between. How can we make quality retrofit more affordable and led by the people who live in tenements? Carmen will look at Loco Home’s evolving community-based approach, will share lessons learned from grappling with Glasgow’s old, cold and gas guzzling homes, and why we look to ‘Annie’s Loo’ for inspiration of retrofit done right.

Raymond Young was one of the founder members of ASSIST, the community architecture practice in Govan that pioneered both tenement rehabilitation and community-based housing associations, the story of which he tells in his book ‘Annie’s Loo’. He has a long term interest in community regeneration and sustainability and worked with the Housing Corporation and Scottish Homes. Previous roles included first chair of Architecture and Design Scotland, non-executive member of Historic Scotland, convenor of the Rural Housing Service, a member of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, and chair of the Church of Scotland’s General Trustees.

Carmen Lean is the Community Development Officer for Loco Home Retrofit CIC which is a community-led home retrofit co-operative, based in Glasgow. Set up in 2021, Loco Home has a growing membership of around 200 retrofitters in Glasgow. Before joining Loco Home earlier this year, Carmen worked in climate action and campaigned against the demolition of Glasgow’s highrises. She studied architecture at Glasgow School of Art.

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SOLD OUT Workshop: Weaving Festive Willow Stars

Posted October 19th 2023

Wednesday 6th December 2023 | 6:30-8:30pm | GCHT, 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ

Join Max Johnson from Seileach Basketry for weaving and mince pies at this cosy festive event! Max is a longtime forager, foodie and crafter, who lovingly weaves baskets & decorations using materials foraged in a range of landscapes, from idyllic rural riversides to derelict post-industrial sites.

People have been weaving with willow for at least 10,000 years. In this workshop we’ll use this ancient practice to weave festive star decorations. Making them is incredibly relaxing and meditative; a chance to engage with nature and express yourself creatively.

This session is suitable for beginners, no weaving experience necessary. All equipment and materials provided.

£30 per person

Sold Out CPD: Showcasing Stone Carving

Posted September 28th 2023

An ornately carved stone cross that sits on the top of Miller Hall, a Category A listed church in Dennistoun.

Monday 9th October | 10am – 12 noon | On site at Conservation Masonry, 942-944 South Street, Whiteinch, Glasgow, G14 0AR

This event provides an opportunity to see the craft of stone carving in action, as you’ll see the carving of a new Arts & Crafts influenced stone cross for the apex of the roof at Miller Hall. A Category A-listed historic church in Dennistoun, designed by celebrated architect James Miller, the building was previously known as St Andrew’s East Church and was converted into flats in the early 2000s.

The historic cross is beginning to disintegrate and can’t be left in place due to the risk of pieces of stone falling. It is too important a feature to take away, so the decision was taken to create a replica cut from a new piece of stone.

We will explain the background to the current conservation project, supported by Glasgow City Heritage Trust, and will see the historic stone cross which has been carefully removed from the church. Attendees will learn the various stages of carving involved, from processing a sandstone block, setting out, initial shaping and hand chiselling the stone down to the finished article, including cutting all the exquisite relief detail.

PPE can be provided if necessary, however it would be helpful if attendees could bring their own hard hats, safety eyewear and hi-viz vests/jackets if they can.

All GCHT CPD sessions are recognised by the IHBC, and attendees can obtain a CPD certificate upon completion.

Spaces are limited to 8 people, booking essential.

£10 per person / £5 for students

All sessions are recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) as being capable of contributing to the obligatory CPD requirements of Full Members (see www.ihbc.org.uk)

Become a Friend of Glasgow City Heritage Trust

Glasgow City Heritage Trust is an independent charity and your support is crucial to ensure that our charitable work promoting the understanding, appreciation and conservation of Glasgow’s historic buildings for the benefit of the city’s communities and its visitors continues now, and in the future.

The easiest way to support the Trust’s work is to join our loyalty scheme. Our tiered loyalty scheme means you can choose the level that’s right for you.

Click to find out all the benefits of membership

In-Person Event: Taking Care of Your Tenement

Posted September 6th 2023

Photograph of a street view of Glasgow tenements

Saturday 30th September | 11:30am – 1:00pm | Queens Park Govanhill Parish Church, 170 Queen’s Drive, Glasgow G42 8QZ

Worried about a leaky roof? Concerned about damp in your flat? Not sure how to talk to your neighbours about joint repairs?

Join GCHT and Under One Roof for a free and informative event aimed at owner-occupiers, landlords or anyone who wants to learn more about maintaining and managing their historic tenement flats.

Topics covered will include tenement maintenance and management, communal repairs and what to consider when undertaking works. We will also discuss energy efficiency and retrofit, and changes to government regulations affecting owner-occupiers and landlords. There will also be a chance to hear about GCHT’s historic environment grants programme and whether you might be eligible for grant funding.

We’ll finish with a Q&A session where you can ask us your top tenement questions!

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Free, booking required

Light refreshments provided

Sold Out Moments of Beauty in Glasgow: A Walking Tour (Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival)

Posted August 9th 2023

A tweet by Niall Murphy. It features a photograph of a red sandstone tenement with shops on the bottom. The writing says: #MomentsOfBeauty in #Glasgow: Good to see architect David Barclay's huge Guild Hall - one of the city's jolly red giants - emerge smart and refreshed from its scaffold. I love the weighty muscular mass and rippling depth of the masonry and how it's sculpted to be deeply shadowed.'

Sunday 17th September | 11am – 1pm | Meet at 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ

If you enjoy Moments of Beauty in Glasgow on Twitter, join Niall Murphy, conservation architect and Director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust, for a walking tour exploring the highlights, both big and small, as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2023.

Starting from Bell Street, the walk will head into Glasgow Cross via the High Street then on into the Merchant City via Albion Street. The tour will take in Wilson Street, Glassford Street, Ingram Street, Virginia Street, Miller Street, and Royal Exchange Square before finishing at the Lighthouse. Highlights include the lost realm of the Tobacco Lords, the high jinks of the Hellfire club, the devastation caused by the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank, the works of the Glasgow City Improvement Trust, Glasgow’s interwar ‘Avenue of the Americas’ and the County Buildings, Robert Adam’s Trades House, a Post-modern courtyard, Sir JJ Burnet’s baroque banking hall, a precocious facade, the site of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Ingram Street tea rooms, the link between Paris’s Arc du Triomphe and the Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington, Glasgow’s links to slavery, and, the symbology of the Lighthouse.

Free but booking is essential: Please note booking is managed by Doors Open Days and will be available from 1st September, details to follow.

Click here to go to the Doors Open Days website

The Knight Map: An Artist’s Process (Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival)

Posted August 9th 2023

Watercolour pallets sitting on top of a line drawing of Glasgow city centre

Thursday 14th September | 7:30 – 8:30pm | The ARC, University of Glasgow, G11 6EW

Join artist Will Knight to hear about the process for creating this incredible new map of Glasgow, as part of the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2023.

Find out about the inspiration for the project as well as the techniques Will used in order to create the final work – tracing and updating Thomas Sulman’s 1864 Bird’s Eye View of Glasgow. Each working drawing is a step towards the final artwork, but the construction of each layer was thought out and planned with a rigorous process for creating each one.

Will studied Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, and this training has informed his approach to understanding the dynamic relationship between people and place. He has spent the last ten years observing, recording and interpreting Glasgow’s built environment – from the celebrated work of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson to the ubiquitous tiled tenement close; from some of the city’s cherished eateries to the scratch bakery and local newsagent. Every subject is explored through measurement and drawn by hand, elevating everyday buildings so that they are revealed afresh.

Free but booking is essential: Please note booking is managed by Doors Open Days and will be available from 1st September, details to follow.

Click here to go to the Doors Open Days website

The Glasgow City Improvement Trust and the Transformation of the Victorian City (Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival)

Posted August 9th 2023

21-08-02-Bell-of-the-Brae-southern-tenement-600x800

Thursday 14th September | 6 – 7pm | Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, G11 6EW

Join GCHT Director Niall Murphy to find out about the achievements of the Glasgow City Improvement Trust, as part of the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2023.

Over the course of the 19th Century, Glasgow suffered explosive city growth, with its population increasing from 77,000 in 1801 to 762,000 by 1901. This created problems of overcrowding, poor sanitation and population health issues, with the city’s housing conditions regarded as amongst the worst in Europe.

To combat this, in 1866 Lord Provost Blackie led a delegation including Glasgow’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr William Tennant Gairdner, and the City Architect, John Carrick to Europe to see what lessons could be learned. Having visited Amsterdam and Brussels it was Baron Haussmann’s Paris where they were most impressed by the urban innovations being introduced for Napoleon III.

Upon his return to Glasgow, Carrick drew up the City Improvement Act of 1866 with a programme of slum clearance to clear out and introduce light and air to the medieval heart of the city, making Glasgow a pioneer for municipal improvements.

Free but booking is essential: Please note booking is managed by Doors Open Days and will be available from 1st September, details to follow.

Click here to go to the Doors Open Days website