Dr William Hunter (1718-1783) bequeathed his collection of books, manuscripts, coins, anatomical and geological specimens to Glasgow University and his collection was put on display in a custom-built section of Glasgow University at Gilmorehill (the exterior is illustrated here). When it opened in 1807, the Hunterian was Scotland's first public museum and it has expanded over the years, with a particular emphasis on Roman antiquities, geological specimens (the Bearsden shark is a well-known exhibit) and coins (30,000 of them, only a proportion on display at one time). The manuscripts and books (Hunter left 10,000, many from the 16th century) are now part of the University library.
The Hunterian Art Gallery is on the other side of University Avenue and houses a collection of paintings by Whistler, Rembrandt, Ramsay and Reynolds as well as a collection of many of Scotland's best artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is also a Sculpture Courtyard and the entrance to the gallery is formed by a magnificent cast-aluminium door by Eduardo Paolozzi (who was born in Scotland).
Adjoining the art gallery is an amazing reproduction of the inside of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's house at 78 Southpark Avenue where he lived from 1906 to 1914. Mackintosh had remodelled the house and the sizes, proportions, windows and lighting of the hall, dining room, studio-drawing room and bedroom have all been perfectly reproduced in a building which is only 100 metres from the original (which had to be demolished because of subsidence). All the original furniture from the Mackintosh house has been retained and the colour schemes, decorations, carpets and curtains are based on contemporary descriptions and photographs. The level of detail is remarkable. If you appreciate Mackintosh design, you will find the overall effect stunning. While we now associate the various motifs with Mackintosh it must have been even more astonishing in the original Edwardian days when he created them for the first time.
Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the art gallery or the Mackintosh House and the illustration of the external aspect of the modern building does not do justice to the interior.
