backup blog

In Kelvingrove Park, you can see "The Psalmist" by Benno Schotz who was born in Estonia and came to Glasgow where he ended up as head of sculpture at the Glasgow School of Art. Signature of Benno Schotz Photos by J. Wilson Some Benno Schotz sculptures in Glasgow museums: https://artuk.org/discover/artists/schotz-benno-18911984 Map Reference: Eurowalk 5 : Around Kelvingrove

Glasgow has a thriving musical and artistic scene. In fact, the European Commission commented in 2019: "As the UK’s top cultural and creative city, Glasgow is home to world-class museums, galleries, family-friendly attractions and an edgy contemporary art scene that shows the city at its energetic finest." Photos : J. Wilson "Glasgow crowned UK’s top cultural and creative city", Sunday Post, 2019:  https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/396198/ The concert hall was built when Glasgow was designated as European Capital of Culture for 1990. Designed by Sir Leslie Martin, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was officially opened on 5 October 1990 by Princess Anne. Photo: J. Wilson It was also the venue for a famous speech by Gordon Brown about the benefits of being in the EU: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/uk-politics/188045/eu-offers-safety-net-tory-devastation-claims-gordon-brown-glasgow-rally/amp/ Being European Capital of Culture really gave the Glasgow arts scene...

At Great Western Terrace, just off Great Western Road, we can see the grand house which was previously the residence of Sir William Burrell, the shipping magnate and philanthropist and collector of art, sculpture and tapestries. He bought the house in 1901.   The house, and terrace were designed by Alexander “Greek” Thomson (1817-1875). Burrell collected many artworks from across continental Europe, and the various items are now housed as a collection at the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park in the South Side of Glasgow. Due to reopen in 2021, though the exact date is currently a bit uncertain due to Covid. https://www.homesubjects.org/2019/11/26/william-burrell-domestic-display-and-gothic-things/ He made his fortune from his family shipping business and collected art all his life.  Photos : J. Wilson Burrell donated 6,000 pieces that he had collected to the city of Glasgow and in addition provided the city with funds to build a museum to house the collection. This led to...

The Kelvin Way bridge has an interesting history. Completed in 1914, with four magnificent bronze sculptures on each corner representing "Peace and War", "Commerce and Industry", "Philosophy and Inspiration" and "Navigation and Shipbuilding" sculpted by Paul Raphael Montford, it was hit by a landmine during the Clydebank Blitz and ironically the "Peace and War" statue ended up falling into the River Kelvin,  War and Peace sculpture close-up The statue was finally rescued in 1949 and the sculpture was restored by Estonian born Sculptor Benno Schotz.  Finally, two arms from the statue were rescued from the river in the hot summer of 1991 to complete the restoration of the figures! (though I note that the plaque remembering the restoration seems to be on the Philosophy and Inspiration one ...)  Navigation and Shipbuilding (above) Commerce and Industry (above) Philosophy and Inspiration (above) Photos : J.Wilson Note:  Another Benno Schotz ...

This centre, which is situated at Garnethill synagogue, has archives of the history of the Jewish people who have arrived in Scotland, most arriving over the last couple of centuries.  The first record of Jews in Scotland dates back to the late 1600s. The Jews who came to Scotland in the late 1600s and early 1700s came in small numbers and tended to be academics, who were attracted by the fact that in the Scottish Universities they were not required to swear a Christian oath, unlike those in England and the continent. These early arrivals were then followed by businessmen and merchants of Dutch and German descent. And more recent history has included the arrival of refugees, in particular during the years of WW1 and WW2. This interesting document ( https://www.scojec.org/resources/files/jewish_experience.pdf ) produced by the archive centre has a few of the stories of people who have been very much involved in Scottish history and communities, including: Benno Schotz (see the ...