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Bute mazer

Scotland and Europe

Our Scottish collections date from about AD1100 to the present day.

The wide-ranging material includes archaeological finds, military, numismatics, social history and applied arts, as well as an extensive collection of dress and textiles. It is the largest collection of its kind anywhere and aims to be a comprehensive record of the life, times and achievements of the people of Scotland at home and abroad.

The European collections are intentionally more select, concentrating on fine examples of applied art. They provide a broad picture of European, including British, achievements from about AD1100 onwards.

The collections are divided into the following sections:

  • Military History
  • Scottish History
  • Scottish Modern History
  • European Decorative Arts

Scotland and Europe department

David Caldwell: Keeper of Scotland & Europe

Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility for the departmental collections and general policy.
Research interests/expertise: Medieval/Post-Medieval Archaeology: Arms & Armour, Islay.

Principal Curator, Scottish Material Culture Research Centre (post vacant)

Specific responsibility: Co-ordinating research activities in Scottish material culture and developing links with organisations and institutes of higher learning.

George Dalgleish: Principal Curator, Scottish History

Specific responsibility: Overall responsibility for collections and management of Scottish History pre-1900 section, within the Scotland & Europe Departmental framework.
Research interests/expertise: Scottish decorative arts, specifically Scottish silver, ceramics and pewter; Jacobite collections.

Fiona Anderson: Senior Curator, Dress and Textiles

Specific responsibility: European and Scottish textiles and dress collection from 1500 to the present. Liaison point for collections displayed at Shambellie House Museum of Costume.
Research interests/expertise: Fashion from 1650 to the present, men's and women's tailoring, Scottish textiles particularly tweed and tartan.

Dorothy Kidd: Senior Curator, Modern Scotland

Specific responsibility: Social and domestic history and Scottish Life Archive
Research interests/expertise: Contemporary collecting and documentation, oral history.

John Burnett: Principal Curator of Modern Scotland

Specific responsibility: Collections relating to Scottish History since 1914.
Research interests/expertise: The development of material culture in Scotland since 1914, particularly in the period 1920-40, and particularly in Glasgow and the surrounding region.

Stuart Allan: Senior Curator, Military History

Specific responsibility: overall responsibility for collections of orders and medals, military weapons, uniform, fine art, photographs and documents, c1600 onwards.
Research interests/expertise: Scots and the Spanish Empire; irregular warfare 1939-45; mountain warfare.

David Forsyth: Senior Curator, Scottish Social History & Diaspora

Specific responsibility: Scottish social and cultural collections from the early modern period up to c.1900 with particular focus on the material culture and study of the Scottish Diaspora.
Research interests/expertise: Scottish emigration.

Godfrey Evans: Principal Curator, European Applied Art

Specific responsibility: overall responsibility for the collections of European arms and armour, ceramics, glass, furniture, metalwork and sculpture.
Research interests/expertise: English and Continental silver; the collections of the Dukes of Hamilton; Continental sculpture; Scottish fireclay sculpture. Italy, France and Russia.

Stephen Jackson: Senior Curator, Applied Art & Design

Specific responsibility: Furniture, woodwork, treen, musical instruments, wallpaper, interiors, contemporary design.
Research interests/expertise: Scottish furniture; early-modern economic, social and cultural history.

Elaine M Edwards: Senior Curator, National Museum of Rural Life, Kittochside

Specific responsibilities: curation of the country life collections including farming techniques & country and domestic social life.
Research interests/expertise: Social history from the Early Modern Period to the mid 20th Century; Women's history; World War One.

Rose Watban: Senior Curator, Applied Art and Design

Specific responsibility: European Ceramics, Glass and Jewellery and Contemporary Craft.
Research interests/expertise: Contemporary crafts and 19th century ceramics.

Kate MacKay: Assistant Curator

Research Interests/Expertise: Scottish Modern History

Alison Patterson: Assistant Curator

Research interests/expertise: British and European ceramics and glass.

Jackie Moran: Assistant Curator

Research interests/expertise: Scottish Medieval collections.

Lyndsay McGill: Assistant Curator

Research interests/expertise: Post Medieval Scottish collections.

Kerry McMillan: Departmental Administrator

Can be contacted on 0131 247 4217 k.mcmillan@nms.ac.uk

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Highlights

  • Lewis chessmen
  • Seringapatam sword
  • Democracy tent
  • Bute mazer
  • Paua shell bowl 
  • The Storming of Tel el Kebir

The Feast Bowl

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National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130