On entering Miss Crowford’s home the breadth of her collection
was immediately apparent – a positive Aladdin’s cave with pendant
earrings hanging from the spines of books and butterfly brooches
pinned to flower arrangements. Some treasures were found packed
away in a bewildering variety of containers while others occupied
every inch of space, with rows of gorgeously coloured glass beads
and enormous glittering brooches, shaped like spiders and
butterflies, decorating the flat.
Though her friends don’t remember Miss Crowford ever wearing any
of her beloved jewellery, she did keep a meticulous record of her
many purchases. Miss Crowford bequeathed her precious collection to
National Museums Scotland through her will and, unbeknown to the
museum, she had been quietly collecting in an area yet to be
tackled by our curators. Over a lifetime she gathered objects that
the museum had not yet acquired… and with one generous gesture she
filled a unique gap in our national collection.