Clapperton glass and pewter
Lewis Clapperton (1865-1947) graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1886. He worked for the whole of his career for Aitken, Mackenzie & Clapperton, one of the oldest chartered accountant and stockbroker firms in Glasgow. His father, Alexander, was a Glasgow businessman, of Clapperton, Paton & Co., warehousemen, textile merchants and manufacturers. The family lived in Woodside Terrace, and were members of Park Church.
Clapperton was an enthusiastic collector of British glass and pewter. He was part of the revival of interest in pewter collecting in the early 1900s. As a founder member of the Pewter Society, he corresponded with fellow specialists and published research on Scottish 'measures', a particular interest. Detailed records of the dealers and prices he paid provide a rare resource for the study of the history of pewter collecting.
He bequeathed his collections jointly to the Hunterian Museum and Glasgow City Museums. He also played a key role in the saving of Provand's Lordship, the only surviving medieval manse built for the clergy of Glasgow Cathedral, furnished as a museum of local and historical antiquities. His collections are extensively used for teaching by History of Art at the University of Glasgow. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), History of Art was rated top in the UK.