McLean Museum's north elevation | |
![]() | |
Established | 1876 |
---|---|
Location | Greenock, Scotland |
Architect | Alexander Adamson |
Owner | Inverclyde Council |
Website | inverclyde.gov.uk |
The McLean Museum and Art Gallery (now officially the Watt Institution [1] ) is a museum and art gallery situated in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland. It is the main museum in the Inverclyde area, it is free to visit and was opened in 1876. [2] Most notably it features an exhibition of items related to James Watt, the Greenock-born inventor, a Mummy Cartonnage from Herakleopolis Magna and a collection of British and Scottish art. [3] The principal entrance to the museum is on Kelly Street, in the Greenock West area. The forme4r Curator is Val Boa. [4] The Watt Institution includes the Art Gallery, Watt Hall, Watt Library and Inverclyde Archives.
The Museum owes its origins to the Greenock Philosophical Society's burgeoning collection of artificial and natural curiosities which became a museum in 1816 as branch of the Society, housed in the Greenock library. When the Greenock Library changed location to the Watt Library, Society members added "autographs, maps, prints, coins, medals, and armour to the collection." [5] The Society sent a report to local ship owners and masters to generate interest in the museum's collection in the hope of receiving donations. In 1863 work began on building a lecture hall and museum building, funded by local timber merchant James McLean, who was also a member of the Philosophical Society. [6] The new building was completed by 3 November 1876, but James McLean was unable to attend the opening due to ill health (although he still managed to visit and inspect the Museum's contents), later dying in January of the next year. [7] Thomas Struthers, a geologist and naturalist from Glasgow was the Museum's first curator. In its early years the Museum was loaned items from other museums, such as the Albert Museum and National Gallery in return that it would lend parts of its collection to these national museums for their exhibitions.
There is a range of collections and exhibitions in the Museum. Until 1914 the McLean Museum received continuing donation from the Egypt Exploration Society, which provided the Museum with many items for its Egyptology collection, including a Mummy Cartonnage from Herakleopolis Magna and the temple stone from the Great Temple of Bast at Bubastis. [3] [ dead link ] Also hosted is an Archaeology collection including various finds such as Roman ceramic pieces, a group of 10 Palaeolithic flint implements from Milton Street, Kent and Palaeolithic stone axes from Ireland. The James Watt collection includes "plans and letters written by James Watt, tools and items used by him and images of him in the form of paintings, sculpture, prints and books." [3] [ dead link ] Also featured is a history of Inverclyde, a Maritime Transport collection, social history material, and exhibitions of Scottish and British artwork. [8]
Some items from the collection can be viewed online. [4]
In 2016, Inverclyde Council closed the McLean Museum and Watt Library complex in order to undertake a £2 million refurbishment. The Council invested £1.8 million towards the refurbishment work alongside a £287,000 grant from Historic Environment Scotland. [9] [10] As part of the refurbishment, the gallery, museum, lecture hall and library were rebranded collectively as the Watt Institution, with access to and from the library now possible via the museum entrance on Kelly Street.
The complex re-opened to visitors on 22 November 2019. [11]
The complex opens on Wednesdays to Saturdays, from 10am to 4pm (having previously also been open on Mondays and Tuesdays). Admission is free. [12] There is a lack of significant designated parking area, although parking on the surrounding streets should be possible. The Museum is a short walk away from Greenock West railway station and also nearby to Greenock town centre. Free tours from the Museum's curatorial staff are available, however, pre-booking is required. [13] There is also a shop which stocks a variety of items including books, cards, toys, museum standard replicas, decorative and craft items. [14] Free internet access is also available.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire, which currently exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area – located in the west central Lowlands. It borders the North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire council areas, and is otherwise surrounded by the Firth of Clyde.
The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019.
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in Scotland and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It forms part of a contiguous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east.
The Hunterian is a complex of museums located in and operated by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest museum in Scotland. It covers the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery, the Mackintosh House, the Zoology Museum and the Anatomy Museum, which are all located in various buildings on the main campus of the University in the west end of Glasgow.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Derby, England. It was established in 1879, along with Derby Central Library, in a new building designed by Richard Knill Freeman and given to Derby by Michael Thomas Bass. The collection includes a gallery displaying many paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby; there is also a large display of Royal Crown Derby and other porcelain from Derby and the surrounding area. Further displays include archaeology, natural history, geology, military collections and world cultures. The Art Gallery was opened in 1882.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. It reopened in 2006 after a three-year refurbishment and since then has been one of Scotland's most popular visitor attractions. The museum has 22 galleries, housing a range of exhibits, including Renaissance art, taxidermy, and artifacts from ancient Egypt.
Braeside is a neighbourhood situated on the far west side of Greenock, in Inverclyde, Scotland.
Alison Watt OBE FRSE RSA is a British painter who first came to national attention while still at college when she won the 1987 Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Kirkcaldy Galleries is the main museum, library and exhibition space in Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland.
Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts.
Keswick Museum is a local museum based in Keswick in the English Lake District, which exhibits aspects of the landscape, history and culture of the area.
The National Gallery of Australia Research Library is the pre-eminent art library in Australia, located in Canberra. The second Chief Librarian, Margaret Shaw, was appointed in 1978 ca. 3 years before the Gallery opened and retired in 2004.
Montrose Museum opened in 1842 in Montrose, Angus, Scotland. The museum came into being when in 1841 the Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society started a fund to expand its space; in order to house its curiosities and wonders ranging from geological and ethnographical artefacts to a collection of natural history objects and fine art. It was accredited by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in June 2009.
The Greenock Arts Guild formed in 1946. Their Arts Guild Theatre on Campbell Street in Greenock, Scotland, held public performances from 1947 to December 8, 2012, then in January 2013 they opened the Beacon Arts Centre, a new building on Greenock's waterfront, adjacent to Customhouse Quay. Its main performance spaces are the Main Auditorium and The Studio theatre space. A Gallery Suite provides multifunction meeting, rehearsal and functions space, the Bar + Kitchen bistro café serves meals at lunchtime and before specific events. The Gallery Suite and the restaurant have full height glazed walls looking directly out over the River Clyde to the hills of Dunbartonshire and Argyll.
Henry Muhrman was an American landscape and figure painter in oils, pastel and watercolor, who worked mainly in Europe.
Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery was founded in 1835 as the Museum of the Shropshire and North Wales Natural History and Antiquarian Society Society in Dogpole, Shrewsbury, England. In 1853 the collections were moved to Vaughan's Mansion on College Hill, which became known as the Shropshire and North Wales Museum. After 160 years and two subsequent homes the museum returned to Vaughan's Mansion and the Music Hall Complex after a major redevelopment of the site.
William Clark was a Scottish artist specialising in paintings of ships. His works are held in the National Maritime Museum and other collections.
The Watt Library or Watt Monument Library in Greenock, Scotland, opened on its current site in 1837 and was the direct descendant of the Greenock Library, a subscription library founded in 1783. It closed as a subscription library in 1971 and re-opened as a public facility in 1973 under the name of the Watt Library, specialising in Local History and Archives. The building was designed in the Gothic revival style by architect Sir Edward Blore and is a listed building. It has undergone recent refurbishment and re-opened in November 2019 as the Watt Institution, incorporating the McLean Museum Watt Lecture Hall and Inverclyde Archives.
Greenock Municipal Buildings is a municipal structure in Clyde Square, Greenock, Scotland. The municipal buildings, which are the headquarters of Inverclyde Council, are Category A listed.