 |
| Christmas card image c1960s-1970s, designed by Gordon F. Huntly. It was donated to the Archives and Collections by Conrad McKenna |
The Glasgow School of Art has unveiled a selection of historic Christmas Cards from its Archives & Collections in a special festive season exhibition today. The showcase, which also includes photographs and ephemera, spans over 100 years of the School’s history opens to the public tomorrow, 7 December, 2016. Merry Christmas! A History of GSA Christmas Cards will be on show in the Reid Building until 21 December with a limited edition set of some of the designs available for sale in the GSA Shop.
 |
The earliest design for a Christmas card featured in the show is by student John Quinton Pringle and dates from the 1890s. |
“Since the School’s opening The Glasgow School of Art staff and students have celebrated Christmas through the creation of beautifully illustrated cards which they sent to one another,” says Jocelyn Grant, of GSA Archives and Collections. “The cards on show in the exhibition reveal the work that the close-knit community of students and staff put in to events and artwork alongside their study and teaching.”
“Many of the Christmas cards on display were gifted to GSA Archives and Collections by notable GSA alumni and staff including Daisy McGlashan, Kath Whyte and Conrad McKenna, and they demonstrate the talents of the individuals who make up GSA’s history,” she adds.
The cards on show date back to the late 19th century and span both world wars.“The public will be able to see designs that show the impact of external factors on the School in particular the First and Second World Wars," says Grant "They show how students incorporated these events into their work and looked to contribute their skills to the war effort.”
 |
| Design for a Christmas Card from 1941 by Frederick Selby |
The cards will be displayed in frames on the walls and in vitrines alongside photographs and other ephemera.
Two of the designers whose cards are on show are GSA graduates Kit and Margaret Grant. A former tutor in Interior Design, Margaret Grant is now 96. She is delighted that her designs will be shown as part of this showcase.
 |
Margaret Grant (second from the right, second row) at a GSA ball in the 1930s |
“I had a terrific time both as a student and a member of staff at the Glasgow School of Art,” says Margaret. “I’m delighted that my designs and those created by my husband, Kit are being featured in this exhibition sharing them with a whole new generation.”
 |
| Limited edition set of 8 historic Christmas card designs available from the GSA Shop |
A limited edition set of 8 Christmas cards from the GSA's historic collection has been produced. Featuring four different designs, (two examples of each) the pack of cards is priced £10 and is available from the GSA Shop (in person and online).
Merry Christmas! A History of GSA Christmas Cardsis on show at the GSA from 7 – 21 December 2016. Open 10am – 4.30pm daily. Entry free. The GSA Shop is open seven days a week 10am – 4.30pm. Further information on online shopping: www.gsashop.co.uk.
For further information on Archives and Collections at the GSA visit:
Ends
Note for Editors
- In 2014 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, choose a work from the GSA’s collection for her Christmas Card. The image by artist Phyllis Dodd, created in the 1970s, is from Conrad McKenna’s collection of Christmas cards by GSA students and staff which is held in The Glasgow School of Art Archives & Collections.