Modern and Contemporary History

Our Modern and Contemporary History collections represent cultural, social, political, military and rural history in Scotland from c.1750 right up to the present day.

The collections document the impact and legacies of Enlightenment, industry and empire that marked the transformation of Scotland during the later-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They chart a line through the major international conflicts and profound social shifts of the twentieth century, telling stories about continuity and change in Scottish life right up to the present day.  

Notable collections include: Scottish decorative arts, from precious jewellery to glass and ceramics; unrivalled bagpiping collections and the material culture of working life, from ploughs to weavers’ tools. We hold extensive material representing military history and rural life, reflecting the strength of the foundational collections of the National War Museum and National Museum of Rural Life.  

Our innovative contemporary collecting programme is focused on representing the twenty-first century with an emphasis on what is distinctive about Scotland in a globalised world, and of the regional and cultural differences within the country. We also actively collect objects that shed light on how the past continually shapes the present. 

Meet the team