Developing the George Bain Collection - Groam House Museum

George Bain: photographed teaching at Drumnadrochit, c.1946

Why is this case study relevant?

This is a three-year project currently in year two. The staff and trustees have shown forward thinking, imagination and structured planning in linking together objectives and applications to several funding streams to initiate and support collections development.

What were the aims of the project?

We set out to place Bain into the context of the Celtic Art Revival, demonstrating the significance of his role in teaching Celtic art. Our plan is to work towards establishing a comprehensive and nationally-recognised collection which would represent and preserve the diverse range of Bain’s work.

Our acquisition strategy is to add to the existing Bain collection by researching what Bain-designed (or inspired) works of art are available for purchase as well as representative pieces from the Celtic Revival period that may have inspired and influenced his own work. Our aim is to create the George Bain reference collection as a basis for further research into Bain and the influence of his art and design work. The enlarged collection will be preserved through appropriate conservation and storage, with training given to staff and volunteers to achieve this.

What happened?

GHM’s collection is growing! Items are being donated and purchased.

Donations include early watercolours by Bain, two relate to photographic records of his work that we hold within his personal archive; textiles embroidered to Bain’s designs together with original Celtic embroidery transfers; papers, sketches and greeting cards relating to publications by Maclellan.

Purchases include Victorian archaeological replicas such as the Tara and Cavan brooches; items by renowned Highland silversmiths such as Robb of Ballater; a Highland ‘pebble’ annular brooch (these illustrate the link between Highland and Celtic styles); silver and craft objects by Celtic artists Alexander Ritchie of Iona and his pupil Iain McCormick, both of whom were contemporary with Bain; a Celtic themed watercolour by Wendy Wood; books by Bain including the differently bound impressions of his seminal work The Methods of Construction of Celtic Art; rugs designed by Bain(1, 3). Specific items (certain Celtic rugs designed by Bain) are still being sought out.

The newly acquired objects and the existing Bain collection are being researched by the curator as is research into the life and work of George Bain. Additional research into the Celtic Art Revival will be carried out to put George Bain into a historical context.

An administrator is employed, 12 hours per week, until the end of December 2011, to relieve the curator to work on the project(1). A free-lance public programme co-ordinator is employed to assist with planning and executing the events, exhibitions and outreach. Partners are being established and venues for exhibitions have been identified(1). Additional funding is being sought to support the outreach programme.

A programme of training, by members of The Scottish Conservation Studio, of curator and volunteers is continuing. Training has included mount-cutting, basic paper conservation, marking and labelling objects.(2)

A programme of conservation work on paper-based items, textiles and artefacts is under way. This work will be carried out by the Scottish Conservation Studio. Many of the items conserved will be displayed within the final exhibitions (1,2).

New shelving and a plan chest has been purchased to house the newly acquired items and a specially designed rack for rugs is being commissioned for their storage. A mount-cutter has been purchased(1, 2)

Ongoing documentation (retrospective and of newly acquired items) is being undertaken by a (very small) team of volunteers.

Additional funding from MGS and The Gordon Fraser Trust Fund has been awarded for elements of the public outreach programme; conservation; training etc.

1 Items funded by HLF Collecting Cultures
2 Items funded by MGS and the Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust

What was learned?

Patience and perseverance! Although this is a three-year project, the completion of the initial HLF application extended the period by a good three months with a team of Director, Advisor and Curator working hard together.

This is a large and long-term project for such a small organisation, carried out by relatively few individuals and represents a huge time-commitment on the part of all concerned, particularly on that of the part-time curator (paid 21 hours per week) who still needs to carry out ongoing museum and curatorial tasks. Consequently, allocated project time for the curator falls short of that initially (1.5 days per week) aspired to.

Continuity of staff/volunteers is hugely important and should not be underestimated. It is a lot to expect a volunteer to retain their interest in a project, together with the level of commitment necessary to complete the required tasks. Training is time consuming and most training of volunteers and the additional staff can only be undertaken by the curator who also needs to oversee and check certain work/applications etc.

We do not have enough space! We have a (large) one-room office/store and it can be difficult for several people to work in the same room at the same time.

That the more people/organisations are involved, the slower and more complicated plans become!

What is the wider relevance?

This is a good example of shaping and developing a key collection which has much wider significance and relevance to Scottish culture in addition to its local importance. The workforce development aspects of the training undertaken in caring for the collections and the partnerships being formed through the project will add to the legacy of George Bain’s work.

How was this project promoted?

The enlarged and enhanced collection will be promoted to the public, schools and researchers through exhibitions, workshops, lectures and wider outreach. The project is being promoted through the Groam House website and we have been fortunate to receive many donations through this publicity. Later in the project we will be advertising the exhibitions and public programme in specialist and popular interest websites and publications.

Three exhibitions are proposed, covering different themes and using different objects:
1. GHM: May 2011-Easter 2012; George Bain in the context of the Celtic Art Revival and amongst the Pictish sculpture he studied.
2. West Coast: provisionally June-August 2011; George Bain, Alexander and Euphemia Ritchie and the Book of Kells.
3. Edinburgh: provisionally September 2011-January 2012; George Bain, design and teaching influences (Patrick Geddes).

Each of the exhibitions will have its own programme of outreach events.

What type of evaluation was done?

Regular meetings of an internal steering group review the current situation. Full evaluation will not take place until the end of the project and after the end of the final exhibition in 2011/12.

For Further Information

Contact Susan Seright, Curator on email: curator@groamhouse.org.uk or tel: 01463 811883