The Johnstone Gallery archive scrapbooks
Throughout the life of The Johnstone Gallery and beyond, Marjorie Johnstone compiled scrapbooks which record the history of the gallery through the public and private record - newspaper clippings, invitations to gallery openings, gallery catalogues, photographs, sketches and doodles by artists, and letters, both business and personal.
She never revealed her reasons for undertaking this project, which must have absorbed a significant amount of her time. While a view to posterity is possible, it may more likely have been a personal record of the achievements of the gallery that became their life's work. This is supported, to some extent, by Marjorie's requirement that the scrapbooks remain at home with her until her death. This suggests that they were a personal and highly valued aide memoire.
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Scrapbook page |
Scrapbook page |
The scrapbooks provide a source of information concerning exhibition dates, public relations initiatives, clients, relationships with artists, the gallery's physical development, and contextual information.
While there is no "typical" scrapbook - they are all individual - they routinely include press reviews of exhibitions, press cuttings of news stories (albeit often undated and unreferenced) and photographs of gallery events that appeared in newspaper or magazine social pages. There are also newspaper and magazine articles about art and artists, invitations to exhibitions, exhibition catalogues, letters and notes, Christmas cards and photographs.
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Christmas cards |
Christmas card |
The scrapbooks are all listed in the Guide to The Johnstone Gallery Archives.
Last updated: 10th January 2008
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