Perth Museum and Art Gallery is the main museum and exhibition space in the city of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Scotland. It is located in the Marshall Monument, named in memory of

Thomas Hay Marshall Thomas Hay Marshall (1770 – 15 July 1808) was twice lord provost of Perth, Scotland. With a passion for Georgian architecture,motte and bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy t ...

castle, built in 1160 to protect the Tay crossing. A great flood in 1209 washed the Castle away. The King,

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

, was staying in it at the time and had to escape with his wife and entourage by boat to

Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component ...

. The building is to be rebranded as Perth Art Gallery in 2024, with

Perth City Hall Perth City Hall is an events facility in King Edward Street, Perth, Scotland, Perth, Scotland. It is a Category B listed building. Built in 1914, it closed in 2005 and underwent a major renovation, beginning in 2018, including the introduction o ...

becoming Perth Museum.

History

The Marshall Monument was designed by David Morison and sculpted by

John Cochrane and Brothers John Cochrane and Brothers was a family of Scottish sculpture, sculptors known for works in both the United Kingdom and Canada. They were David, James and John Cochrane, the sons of James and Elizabeth (née Paton) Cochrane.

."Anniversary of man who shaped Perth but died penniless"
– '' Daily Record'', 11 July 2008 Construction began in 1822, and it was opened as a library and museum by the Literary and Antiquarian Society of Perth in 1824. It is one of the United Kingdom's oldest purpose-built museums, and in 1915 it was gifted to the city by the Society on the condition that it was continued to be used only as a library or museum.

Extension

After large donations of money and paintings were bequeathed to the museum, an extension was planned for the building. In 1930 an architecture competition took place and was judged by Sir James John Burnett, a Scottish architect. A Perth firm, Smart, Stewart & Mitchell, won and the extension was begun with the laying of the

foundation stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

by lord provost Thomas Dempster on 2 December 1932. Work continued between 1933 and 1935, and it was opened on 10 August 1935 by the Duke and Duchess of York,Civic History of Perth from Medieval Times
– Perth Civic Trust the future

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen ...

. This extension housed the donated paintings as well as the Natural History collections of Perthshire Society of Natural Science which had previously been held at its museum at

62–72 Tay Street 62–72 Tay Street (also known as the County Buildings) is an historic row of buildings in Perth, Scotland. Designed by local architect John Young, the building is Category B listed, dating to 1881. Standing on Tay Street, the building was origina ...

. It was made a

category B listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

in May 1965.

The museum's collection

The museum collection includes the South Corston fragment of the Strathmore meteorite and the

mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay fu ...

of a woman named Ta-kr-hb.

References

External links

Culture Perth and Kinross: Perth Museum and Art Gallery
{{Coord, 56.3983, -3.4283, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Museums in Perth, Scotland Local museums in Scotland Natural history museums in Scotland Decorative arts museums in Scotland Glass museums and galleries Category B listed buildings in Perth and Kinross Listed buildings in Perth, Scotland

History

Extension

The museum's collection

See also

References

External links