Travellers’ treasures are focus of curator’s talk
Stirling has produced many intrepid travellers, including those who crossed the world as sailors, soldiers, traders, missionaries and colonial pen-pushers.
This global reach is the theme of the latest Stirling Smith lecture, on Wednesday, January 18.
Nicola Wilson, collections manager at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, has spent months working with the many artefacts that people brought home to Stirling from their travels, and is ready to share her findings in an illustrated talk.
Her project, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland,
aims to encourage understanding of world cultures and increase public access to the Smith’s collections.
“Museum curators are often the unsung heroes of local history, working in back rooms cataloguing and reappraising their collections,”said Moira Lawson, chair of the Friends of the Smith, which runs the lectures.
“It’s rare to get an insight into their world, which can be as exciting and full of discovery as it is methodical. This talk by Nicola will show how we can make the most of the Smith’s rich and diverse collection.”
The lecture will focus on objects donated to the Smith in its formative years, in the late 19th century. They will help to tell the stories of Stirling people who spent time abroad, as well as interpreting the cultures of the countries they visited.
The lecture takes place at the
Smith, Dumbarton Road, starting at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm.
Admission is by cash at the door and costs £5 for adults, £4 for members of the Friends and £2 for students, on production of a valid student ID card. Admission includes tea or coffee and biscuits afterwards. A brochure with full details of the lecture series is available from the Smith.
The speaker, Nicola Wilson, specialises in managing collections and curating social history.
Her research interests lie in women’s history, subcultures and contemporary collecting.