The sixth lecture in the Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch

Reverend Alastair Ramage on "Heatherbank: A Unique Museum"

Alastair Ramage was introduced by the Secretary who recalled her memories of Colin and Rosemary Harvey, the original founders of the Museum in their Georgian house in 1975.  Colin attracted donations of archive material, due to his interest in social work.    On his death, Rosemary mounted various exhibitions, such as one on poorhouses.  Alastair worked for two months with Rosemary and carried on after her death as Curator.   Alastair's lasting achievement as Curator lies in finding, before retiring, a home for the Museum in the Glasgow Caledonian University Research Collections.

By way of introduction, Alastair explained how the ‘unique' principles of the Heatherbank Museum were still being carried on to-day through the recent digitisation of parts of the Poor Law Magazine (1859-1929), by the Attitudes to Poverty Project at Glasgow Caledonian University..  These principles were touched on in a lecture by Colin Harvey in 1975:

"The scope of my collection for the Museum of Social Work covers building, costume, objects, literature and archives".

In fact, the principles underpinning the collection were dependent also on Colin Harvey's interest in the poor and Christian philanthropy.  Thus Heatherbank is a "campaigning museum in historical terms, in respect of ordinary people and life".

One entry in the Ephemera Collection prized by Alastair refers to the life of a man of whom the only record of his life are his certificates of birth, marriage and death.

The Heatherbank resource includes the library of 2000 books; amongst the bound journals 30 annual volumes of the British Workman; and for example materials relating to a ‘model' lodging house.  The Campus Museum video showed the volunteers and Alastair describing exhibits, such as a midwifery kit.   Alastair paid tribute to John Powles and the Research Collections staff for preserving books and opening up the archive for students' research purposes.

In conclusion, for Alastair the collection represented the eclectic, diverse interests of the Victorian era leading into those of contemporary social sciences.   Questions about the "campaigning museum" brought out Alastair's experience of mounting further exhibitions: Quarriers Homes child migrants to Canada; Lennox Castle Hospital for people with learning disabilities - with ex-residents meeting to "share the impact of life."  Finally, students from different disciplines were using the research collection.

In giving the vote of thanks, the Chairman spoke of how he had come as a historian to hear the talk with no great interest, but had been persuaded by Alistair's forceful and impassioned delivery to take an interest in the Heatherbank Museum.   He was reminded of how Sir John Soames had collected ephemera and wished, as he said, that "I had researched such exciting stuff on my doorstep."

Attendance 37.

More information can be found at: www.gcal.ac.uk/heatherbank