Tag: National Museum of Scotland

National Museums Scotland: What’s On

EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS  

National Museum of Scotland   
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

The Silver Casket
Until 1 Aug 2022
Hawthorden Court
Free entry

See an iconic piece of Scotland’s national heritage, the silver casket believed to have been owned by Mary, Queen of Scots. Made in Paris, probably between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a superb and extremely rare work of early French silver.  It is likely that its long-standing association with Mary and her downfall has kept it preserved for over 450 years. 

The silver casket is on display in Hawthornden Court at the National Museum of Scotland. From August 2022, it will be on permanent display in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery alongside other objects associated with Mary. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Silver-Casket  

E.Coli by Luke Jerram
3 Aug – 31 Aug 2022
Grand Gallery
Free entry

Part of the Edinburgh Art Festival programme, this 90ft long inflatable sculpture by Bristol-based Luke Jerram will be suspended from the ceiling of the National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery. The E.coli is 5 million times bigger than the real bacteria. When standing next to it, does the bacteria alter our personal sense of scale? Does it look scary, beautiful, comical or alien? Will people be attracted or repelled by it?  

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli  

Japanese Contemporary Design
Until 5 Mar 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry

From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades. 

The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign   

 
The Typewriter Revolution 
Until 11 Sep 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this exhibition and looks at its role in society, arts, and popular culture. It traces the effect and evolution of typewriters across more than 100 years, from weighty early machines to modern style icons. 

The impact of the typewriter has been much wider than simply speeding up the way we write. It helped revolutionise the world of work and change the lives of working women in particular. Typewriters helped them launch their own businesses at a time when female employers were rare and became a vital weapon in the fight for the vote.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters 
 

Inspiring Walter Scott
Until 8 Jan 2023
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1
Free entry

Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.  
 
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition 
 

Book of Hours
Until 3 Aug 2022
Kingdom of the Scots gallery (Level 1)
Free entry

Explore the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots in this display. 

Written in Latin on vellum, the Book of Hours contains 40 exquisite illuminations by a 16th century Master artist. Used for private worship, it belonged to Mary’s great aunt Louise de Bourbon, Abbess of Fontevraud, who is believed to have gifted this precious volume to the young queen. 

The book will be exhibited in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery in a display alongside other objects associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. Six different pages within the book will be revealed, with a new page displayed every three weeks. A QR code will allow you to scroll through the vividly illustrated pages in detail. 
 
The Book of Hours is on loan to National Museums Scotland from The Pininski Foundation, Liechtenstein. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/book-of-hours 

Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life 
2 Jul – 13 Nov 2022 
Member Preview Day 1 Jul 
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 
Ticketed 

Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders.   
This exhibition will look at the social and medical history surrounding the practice of dissection. It will trace the relationship between anatomy, its teaching and cultural context and the bodies that were dissected. Looking at Edinburgh’s role as an international centre for medical study, the exhibition will offer insight into the links between science and crime in the early 19th century. 

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/Anatomy 

Bernat Klein: Design in Colour
5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free entry

Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer.  

 Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia  

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein   

 
EVENTS 

National Museum of Scotland  
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

How The Nose Got Its Sneeze
11 – 12 Jun 2022
10:00-16:45
Event Space, Level 2
Free sign up on the day

In this fun and immersive play adventure, children will explore what happens inside the nose when things like smoke, dust and pollen get inside and how the nose defends our precious lungs against these invaders. 

Play will start with a story to set the scene, followed by a journey through a giant nose and then continue with lots of loose-part-play within two large lung-shaped domes. A gentle soundscape of music and breathing will surround the hands-on activity. OKIDO play rangers and lung researchers will be on hand to help with questions and fun! 

Sign up on the day for a 45 minute session, starting each hour from 10am until (last session) 4pm. 

This event is for under-fives but parents, carers, grandparents and older siblings are encouraged to join in too! 
 
In partnership with OKIDO Studio. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

Concert for a Summer’s Night
21 Jun 2022
19:15 doors open, 20:00 concert starts
Grand Gallery
Ticketed

Mark the summer solstice with string collective Scottish Ensemble. Be taken on an atmospheric journey through an eclectic mix of musical styles, including Mozart’s scampering, energetic ‘Magic Flute Overture’, Vask’s shimmering ‘Musica Serena’ and Dvorak’s ‘American Quartet’, evoking expansive, wide-open vistas. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events  

Spotlight On: Anatomy
13 Jul 2022
14:00 – 15:00
Auditorium, Level 1
Free, with optional donation

Join exhibition curators Tacye Phillipson and Sophie Goggins as they discuss our major exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life. Dig deeper into the themes explored in our summer exhibition in this free curator talk to kick off our Anatomy events programme. Revisit your favourite stories from the exhibition or find out more before your visit.    

Find out more nms.ac.uk/spotlightanatomy  

National Museum of Rural Life  
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Bird Bingo 
Until 31 Aug 2022  
10:00-17:00 
A trail around the museum 
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass 

Come and play Bird Bingo at the National Museum of Rural Life!  

Can you find all the birds hiding around the museum? Using the clues on our family trail sheet, see if you can spot different birds in our museum galleries and learn fun facts about them on your journey. 

This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo 

National Museum of Flight   
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF 
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00 

Awesome Bricks
18 Jun –19 Jun 2022
10:00-17:00
Ticketed

Join us for one of Scotland’s biggest LEGO events. See a host of unique and inspiring LEGO constructions, including a 3D hot air balloon festival, and get hands-on in our blue brick build zone. 

Awesome Bricks is produced in partnership with Warren Elsmore. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/awesomebricks 

Behind the Scenes Tours
25 May – 26 Oct 2022
11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00
Object Store
Free with museum admission
Booking required

Find out about our collection of aero-engines and propellers on a curator-led tour of our Object Store. Join Aviation Curator Ian Brown for one of our regular guided tours of the museum’s Object Store. Explore some of the collections not normally on public view and discover the fascinating stories behind them. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours  

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For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789 

Bernat Klein: Design in Colour

New exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will explore the life and career of one of the 20th century’s leading forces in Modernist design, in the centenary year of his birth. 

Bernat Klein: Design in Colour celebrates the work of the Serbian-born textile designer Bernat Klein (1922 – 2014) who settled in the Scottish Borders after the Second World War. 

The exhibition will examine his creative process and varied career; from supplying innovative couture fabrics to some of Europe’s top fashion houses to his strong influence on architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia. 

Opening on 5 November, it marks the centenary of Klein’s birth and is part of a series of cultural events developed by the Bernat Klein Foundation to celebrate the designer in 2022. It will chart his 60-year career as a textile designer, artist, educator, and colour consultant. 

National Museums Scotland acquired his archive in 2010. This internationally significant collection of around 4,000 objects ranges from fabrics and garments to design development material. 

On display in the exhibition will be highlights from the collection – including couture fashion, interior designs, textiles and original artworks – alongside newly acquired pieces which contextualise Klein’s work and recognise his legacy.

Made possible with Art Fund support through the New Collecting Awards, these acquisitions include creations by fellow textile designers Ascher Ltd and Tibor Reich. 

Bernat Klein was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1922, to an Orthodox Jewish family who ran a wholesale textile business. He attended the Bezalel School of Art & Craft in Jerusalem in the 1940s, where his exposure to Bauhaus ideas and the modernist architecture of Israel had a profound influence on him. 

He escaped the rise of Naziism across Europe, going on to study textile technology at Leeds University before settling in the historic textile centre of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, establishing his design and manufacturing business, Colourcraft in 1952. 

Part of a new wave of designers re-invigorating British industry and contributing to economic regeneration in the post-war period, he is best known for his highly original fashion textiles, with their rich textures and exuberant colour palette. 

A significant career breakthrough came when Coco Chanel selected one of his mohair tweed fabrics for her spring/summer 1963 collection. 

His couture cloths quickly came to dominate international catwalks throughout the 1960s, with designers such as Balenciaga, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Hardy Amies all featuring his work. The company established offices in London and Paris and sold fabrics to the American womenswear market. Klein also designed ready-to-wear fashion and textiles for home dressmakers. 

He had a lifelong passion for colour and worked as a colour consultant and industrial designer for various national and international firms. In 1966 he set up a design consultancy company, collaborating with progressive interior firms in Britain and Scandinavia.

He was an accomplished painter and found inspiration in the landscape surrounding his Borders home, High Sunderland (below). Klein commissioned the architect Peter Womersley to design the building, which is recognised today as one of Scotland’s finest modernist homes. 

Lisa Mason, Assistant Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland said: ““Bernat Klein was a key figure in Modernist design, and one of the 20th century’s most celebrated textile designers.

“His archive is remarkably broad and rich, and this stylish exhibition will display some of its highlights, examining his exceptional contribution to the design world and his ongoing legacy and influence.

“The Scottish Borders were his home and inspiration for six decades, and the exhibition will also explore the story of the relationship between his work, the landscape and the local textile industry.” 

Christmas tree unveiled at the National Museum of Scotland

Ahead of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022,  decorations have been recycled from the pages of children’s storybooks. The museum will be open throughout the festive period and entry is free.

Gail Thow from National Museums Scotland puts the finishing touches to the Christmas tree at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

To discover more about upcoming exhibitions and events at National Museums Scotland, visit nms.ac.uk

Amazon Edinburgh parties after year of success

The team from Amazon’s Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh partied in style at the National Museum of Scotland to celebrate a year of success.

The team was treated to an evening of celebration after a great year in Edinburgh. At the party, guests enjoyed a trapeze act, an awards ceremony, great food and live music.

Amazon’s Edinburgh Site Leader Stephen Lumsden said: “The annual team party is one of the highlights of the year at Amazon in Edinburgh and it gives us the opportunity to say a big thank you to our team for all their efforts over the previous 12 months.

“It’s fantastic to be able to celebrate our success with our brilliant team and in 2020, we are excited to continue delivering smiles to our customers in Edinburgh and beyond.”

Glue attacks at city centre venues

Police Edinburgh are appealing for information following vandalism attacks on the National Museum of Scotland and the nearby Festival Theatre.

The incidents took place in the Museum last Friday (24 January) and again the following day, while a similar attack has since been reported at the Festival Theatre on Nicholson Street.

In all of the incidents glue was applied to areas of the venues’ toilets.

Inspector Trish Robertson, of the West End Community Policing Team, said: “Thankfully nobody has been seriously injured as a result of these incidents, however these thoughtless acts were extremely irresponsible and could have potentially harmed young children.

“Officers are conducting a thorough investigation and I would urge anyone with any information, of who may have seen something suspicious, to contact Police via 101, quoting incident 2808 of 27 January.”

Edinburgh Science Festival: The Musical Brain

Playlist for Life are the UK’s leading music and dementia charity and the University of Edinburgh’s Prevent Dementia project aims to identify the earliest signs of the disease.  And together, they are exploring how the power of music can help those with dementia.  

This event, The Musical Brain, will be outlining the neuroscience behind the phenomenon, offering an engaging showcase of how this works in practice and explaining current research while giving advice on how everyone can protect their brain health.

The talk will take place on Saturday 13th April at 1200 in the Auditorium at the National Museum of Scotland.  Tickets are available online

The Edinburgh Science Festival runs until 21st April

2019-Programme

 

Visitor attractions: London tops but Scotland outperforms rest of UK

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) announced its members’ visitor figures for 2018 today. There’s been an average increase of 8.68% on 2017 visits to UK attractions, while attractions in Scotland saw the biggest increase of 19.07%. Overall 138, 823, 297 visits were made to the top 249 ALVA sites in the UK.  Continue reading Visitor attractions: London tops but Scotland outperforms rest of UK

Scotland’s early silver: new exhibition at National Museum of Scotland

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland supported by Glenmorangie will show for the first time how silver, not gold, became the most important precious metal in Scotland over the course of the first millennium AD. Continue reading Scotland’s early silver: new exhibition at National Museum of Scotland