Scottish Furniture, 1500-1914, recently published by National Museums Scotland, is the first comprehensive narrative account of furnituremaking in this country. In this talk the book’s author will guide us through the evolving landscape of Scottish furniture-making, with a particular emphasis on items made in Glasgow. The contribution of Scotland’s best workshops was generally overlooked in twentieth-century histories of British furniture but this new book seeks to put the record straight, from the beguiling carved woodwork of the sixteenth century to the blossoming of new art movements of the years around 1900. Stephen’s approach prioritises makers and the commercial contexts in which they worked. He also considers the distinguishing characteristics of Scottish furniture at various points in time.
Stephen Jackson is Senior Curator, Furniture and Woodwork, at National Museums Scotland. He has curated a wide range of decorative arts media and was greatly involved over many years in the renewal of the National Museum of Scotland. He edits the journal of the Regional Furniture Society.
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