Blueprint
Blueprint is a collaboration between a number of Glasgow galleries, archives and museums taking place in February 2013. The event seeks to explore the links between alternative photographic processes and fine art photographic printmaking (printing with ink) and technical drawings.
Glasgow University Archive Services are pleased to be participating in the Heritage Trail on Tuesday 19th February from 10:30 to 12:00. It provides us with an opportunity to make connections between collections held by in our archive collections and those held by our colleagues in Special Collections by showcasing items that demonstrate early photographic techniques and their links to the development and use of technical drawing reproduction techniques in engineering, design and architectural collections.
In our searchroom at Thurso Street we will have on display a number of plans and drawings from our business and University collections which demonstrate the varied uses of technical drawings and their different formats, from original, hand coloured cartridge paper and Indian ink on waxed linen drawings to tracings and blueprint copies.
Engineering & Industry
As part of the Scottish Business Archive we have particularly strong shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturing collections which are unrivalled. On the 19th of February we will have items from the records of John Brown of Clydebank, the builders of the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary and the records of the North British Locomotive Co, the world’s largest locomotive works in 1900 on display. These two collections are held on behalf of the National Records of Scotland and it is with their permission that we will showcase plans and drawings of the Queen Mary and the South African locomotive 3007.
Design
In our Stoddard-Templeton Collection, there are a small number of cyanotypes, or blueprints, of early Templeton carpet designs, These are part of the photographic records which make up the largest part of the Stoddard Templeton Associated Design Records. In addition to photographing carpets bought by and loaned to the company, it would appear that the Templeton in-house photographer also recorded all their design sketches and patterns, which were then pasted into volumes. The vast majority of the photographs are either black and white or sepia images, with the latter having degraded somewhat overtime. In comparison however, the few cyanotypes within the collection remain very crisp and clear.
Built Heritage
The University of Glasgow has an extensive estate that includes over 100 buildings listed by Historic Scotland as being of historical and/or architectural significance. Within our University collection we have building plans for many of them. On display will be examples of elevations, floor plans and sections for key campus buildings, including the work of Sir George Gilbert Scott and John Burnet.
Exhibition Dates and Access
These items will only be on display on the morning of Tuesday 19th February. If you wish to visit on this date then please register via the Blueprint 2013 website or eventbrite.
If you are interested in seeing any of these items after the exhibition date, then please contact us to arrange a visit to our searchroom. Our opening times are Monday to Friday: 09.30 - 17.00.