The Mackintosh House Introduction Gallery
The Hunterian holds an unrivalled collection of the work of Scottish architect, artist and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928) and his wife, the artist Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (1864–1933).
The highlight of this collection is the Mackintosh House, Mackintosh’s only surviving domestic interior in his native Glasgow and one of its most popular attractions. Located in the Hunterian Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow, the Mackintosh House features original interiors from the Mackintoshes’ home, meticulously reassembled on three floors.
Located immediately outside the entrance to the Mackintosh House, the new Mackintosh House Introduction Gallery tells the fascinating story of the House and collection.
There is no additional interpretation within the House itself, allowing visitors to experience moving through a real home, seeing exactly what the Mackintoshes and their visitors would have seen between 1906 and 1914.
Through comprehensive interpretation using text panels, video and comparative illustrations, visitors to the new gallery will learn more about the House’s significance and complex history which has seen the rooms dismantled and reassembled in three successive locations. The puzzling contrast between the Hunterian Art Gallery’s Brutalist 1970s concrete exterior and the reconstructed Mackintosh rooms within is also explained.
Visitors will see original furniture designs and other drawings by Mackintosh and examples of cutlery that he designed for Margaret and himself. Also on display is the Mackintoshes' extraordinary meat safe, which they used for storing perishable food.
The Mackintosh House presents problems of physical access because of its confined spaces and many stairs – intrinsic features of its historic character. In the new gallery, visitors who cannot physically access the House itself, will gain a rich experience of its interiors and a wealth of additional information.
VISITOR INFORMATION
- Admission to the Mackintosh House Introduction Gallery is free
- There is an admission charge for the Mackintosh House (£10/£6 concession)
FIND OUT MORE
- The Mackintosh House at The Hunterian
- The Hunterian Mackintosh Collection
- More information about the Mackintosh House, including archival photographs, architectural drawings and other documents, can be found on our Mackintosh Architecture: Context, Making and Meaning website.