Glasgow EuroWalk

Bucks Head Building One of many interesting buildings built/designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson in 1862-1863, this is the first building where he used  elevated iron columns within his neo-classical designs. Today, it is still a major city landmark. The building was renovated in 2003 and today contains a Caffe Nerro.  This building was the only time that "Greek" Thomson used a combination of elevated iron columns with a trabeated façade. The external supports are apparently largely structural rather than ornamental. The deer sculpture on the top of the current building was carved by well known Glasgow sculptor John Mossman. The building replaced a popular hotel which had been on the site since the 1750s, the Bucks Head Hotel:  https://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA03551 . The hotel had originally been built as the home of Provost John Murdoch (1709 - 1776), a leading Glasgow merchant and Provost three times. Alexander "Greek" Thomson designed ...

The Glasgow Botanic Gardens have been on this current site, adjacent to the River Kelvin, since  1839 when they moved from a site west of Sauchiehall Street. They opened in 1842.  The Kibble Palace glasshouse (see photograph below) was originally a private conservatory located at Coulport on Loch Long. It was moved to its present site in 1873 and was first used as a concert hall and meeting place, hosting celebrated speakers such as Gladstone and Disraeli.  Photos by J.Wilson (Glasow Loves EU) The Kibble Palace and the magnolia tree in the foreground was bred in Paris ! The statues in Kibble Palace include ones by: the Italian Antonio Rossetti statue The Nubian Slave: http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=rossetti_a# the Italian sculptor Scipio Tadolini whose sculpture "Eve" can be seen:  http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=tadolini_s# .  Also "Ruth" by Giovanni Ciniselli  http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.ph...

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 ...

In Kelvingrove Park, this sculpture of a Tigress and Cubs was gifted to Glasgow by an ex Glaswegian John S.Kennedy, then living in New York. It was sculpted by  Auguste Nicolas Cain, a French sculptor . You can see his signature on the statue. Other similar statues by him can be found in New York Central and Les Jardins de Tuileries in Paris http://www.kelvingrovepark.com/heritage-tigress.html Photos : J.Wilson Map Reference: Eurowalk 5 : Around Kelvingrove

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

This Scottish poet was amongst other things a co-founder of the literary association of the friends of Poland - he had other connections and travels in Europe - see  Thomas Campbell (poet) - Wikipedia . Campbell was a staunch supporter of the Polish cause in 1832 - (see more here in this video features Joseph Gomoszynski whose grave is in Glasgow Necropolis-  Thomas Campbell (poet) - Wikipedia ) Photos : J. Wilson The Victoria and Albert Equestrian statues on George Square were designed by Italian born French sculptor Carlo Marochetti, who is also responsible for the famous Glasgow Duke of Wellington statue: Victoria in foreground, Albert in background Albert Victoria

This war memorial is the work of Sculptor Ernest George Gillick ( 1874 – 1951)   and architect, John James Burnet and was erected in 1924. Photo: J Wilson Ernest Gillick, the sculptor was born in Bradford, the son of a local tailor and, aged 11, he left the city and went to Nottingham, where he was apprenticed to a lace designer. He then attended Nottingham School of Art, where he studied under the sculptor, Oliver Shepphard.  At Nottingham he won a scholarship that enabled him to study in London at the Royal College of Art, where he was tutored by the French sculptor, Edouard Lanteri, who helped Ernest obtain a traveling scholarship in 1902 to Italy and Paris. Europe where he gained inspiration for future work. Ernest’s work in the 1930s included sculptures on the memorial to The Missing, at the Vis-en-Artois war cemetery, France. https://www.notjusthockney.info/gillick-ernest-george/ John James Burnet is also mentioned on our tours regardi...

The sculptures "The Attendants" and "The Gatekeeper" at this development were sculpted by Afro-Hungarian Dan Dubowitz. He was  NSK Artist In Residence, Ljubljana, 1993-4.  Some interesting history behind these can be found here:  http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=heisenberg# https://www.artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-attendant-250428 The Gatekeeper symbolises the notion of Gorbals as a gateway for Irish, Jewish and Asian immigrant communities over the centuries: https://mccreathfamily.scot/places/glasgow/glasgow-public-sculptures/the-gatekeeper-g5/ Map Reference: Euro Driving Tour - Around the South Side