other artworks

Sculptures and other pieces

Tramcar

This pub sign once sat on metal rails above the entrance to the Ye Olde Tramcar Vaults pub, down Maryhill Road towards St George's Cross, at the junction with Hopehill Road. A licensed premises from the 1870s, it was run by a William Barr from 1930.

The tramcar sat on its own rails on the tenement, at first floor height and was lit at night. Whilst waiting for statutory planning permission to remove the sign, it was stolen during the Glasgow Fair, 1976. Reclaimed by the Glasgow Police from an antique shop on the southside, it was claimed by People's Palace staff and restored.

This item is on loan from Glasgow Museums. You can read more about the pub on oldglasgowpubs.com

Emily Promise Allison – The Student

This is one of five monuments that were permanently installed around the city of Glasgow based on stories artist Emily Promise Allison gathered from citizens.

The student was inspired by the young girl in the stained glass panel of The Teacher.

You can find more information about the Miniature Monuments on the artist’s website.

HLI Soldier

Originally named the Kelvinside Bar, in 1957 the pub at the corner of Kelvinside Street & Maryhill Road was renamed the HLI, after the Highland Light Infantry - one of the regiments then stationed at the nearby Maryhill Barracks.

This carved soldier in his sentry box, sat outside the pub and set the scene for the interior, which was decorated with a display of regimental memorabilia, and striking murals of the uniforms over the years. The pub entrance even featured a stained-glass window of the emblem of the regiment. Both the murals and the sentry box were created by local artist, and former HLI officer, Douglas Anderson. The pub building has long since been demolished, and the modern Maryhill Community Fire Station is now in its place.

This item is on loan from Glasgow Museums. You can read more about the HLI Pub on oldglasgowpubs.com

tom allan - the Tree that never grew

The carving is inspired by the coat of arms of Glasgow. All the images in it are connected with the story of St Mungo, also called Kentigern, who is Glasgow’s patron saint. If you walk round onto Burnhouse Street, you can see this coat of arms carved in stone on the side of Maryhill Burgh Halls. The coat of arms is summed up in a rhyme which every Glasgow child used to know:

“This is the Tree that never grew,

This is the Bird that never flew,

This is the Bell that never rang,

This is the Fish that never swam”

The tree was sculpted by Glasgow-born artist Tom Allan. Mostly working with stone and marble, this Italian cypress carving is only one of two wooden sculptures Allan produced.

You can read more about the artist here and follow him on Facebook.

Silver Key

The Burgh Halls were formally opened on April 26th 1878 by James Robertson, then Provost of the Burgh. Both he, as well as James Shaw, the immediate past Provost, were presented with a ceremonial silver key to mark the occasion.

As reported in the Glasgow Herald, "the company assembled in front of the entrance to the Public Hall, where Bailie Murray presented Provost Robertson with a silver key, with which the Provost opened the hall door and invited the company to enter. The silver keys presented to Provost Robertson and ex-Provost Shaw were formed so as to be suitable for fish-slicers, and were supplied by Mr Sorley, jeweller, Argyll Street.’’

The idea of a fish-slice shaped key is bizarre but beautiful!

Many thanks to the Robertson family for the loan.

Public Toilets Sign

This familiar sign was displayed on the railings at the corner of Gairbraid Avenue and Maryhill Road. Located just outside the Burgh Halls original entrance, the toilet could be accessed for just a penny! Providing hot and cold water, working men from local factories would often clean themselves up in this lavatory before returning home.

The lavatory has been sealed up during the regeneration of Maryhill Burgh Halls but who knows if we’ll be able to open it again one day?

heritage wall

Designed by Anna Montgomery with illustrations by David Lemm, the heritage wall features illuminated small-scale copies of all twenty original stained glass panels against a background of a map of the Burgh of Maryhill made of Caithness Stone.

street signs

These street signs were collected by local amateur photographer and proud Maryhill man George Ward. Representative of the area he lived in all his life, George kept the signs in his attic in Sandbank Street. Gairbraid Avenue was particularly dear to him as that was the street in which he was born.

maryhill coat of arms shield

This is one of two wooden shields that used to hang on the front of The Copper Lamp pub. George Ward saved the pair out of a skip during the pub’s renovations. Today the pub is known as The Maryhill Tavern and lies vacant at 1850 Maryhill Road.

The Coat of Arms was designed in 1885 by local historian Alexander Thomson. It features the Charlotte Dundas (the world’s second successful steamship) sailing on the Forth & Clyde aqueduct. Below, local industries were originally represented by a circular saw, an iron furnace and a spur wheel.

The shield is displayed in the foyer alongside the Maryhill Road sign that used to hang on the corner of the pub’s building.

door with glasgow coat of arms

The door was part of an electricity box that stood on the pavement and housed switchgear and fuses that supplied homes and businesses.

The G.C.E.D. anagram on the door stands for Glasgow Corporation Electricity Department and the lock is still functional!

This item is part of the George Ward Collection.

The door as it was displayed during the George Ward Collection exhibition.

Curved Door with Glasgow Coat of Arms

This door used to be part of a lamp post’s pole, which was located at the junction of Gairbraid Avenue and Maryhill Road. George Ward salvaged it from being scrapped when the historic lamps were replaced with modern ones.

The item was repainted by George’s son Richard and it is now on display on our mezzanine level.

Lamp Post

This lamp post was originally a gas lamp with a four-sided glass shade, like the Burgh Halls’ lamp post in the courtyard.

It is thought that when it was adapted to an electric lamp, the hook at the top was added to replace the original fitting. This lamp post was likely situated on a bridge parapet or a terrace.

This item is part of the George Ward Collection and is on display in the mezzanine level, overlooking the foyer.