Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, architect, designer and artist, is celebrated around the world as one of the most creative figures of the early 20th century.
Many of Mackintosh’s most famous major buildings are found in Glasgow, including the Glasgow School of Art, Scotland Street School, Queen’s Cross Church, and the Willow Tea Rooms.
Mackintosh was also an accomplished water-colourist and in 2005 Edinburgh’s Dean Gallery – one of the National Galleries of Scotland - planned an exhibition of his paintings. In a fine example of practical collaboration, the Gallery teamed up with Glasgow’s Willow Tea Rooms to add an extra edge to their ‘Charles Rennie Mackintosh in France: Landscape Watercolours’ exhibition.
Anne Mulhern recalls, “Lee [Haldane] asked if I was interested in promoting the Tea Rooms as part of the exhibition. Too right I was! It doesn’t get much better than the chance to promote your business in the National Galleries”.
Using original furniture from Glasgow’s Willow Tea Rooms, the Dean Gallery recreated the setting in their own café during the exhibition. This initiative was very well received - and café takings rose substantially. Anne Mulhern felt that, “The Dean’s incorporation of these settings into an established room was very brave. Collaboration between our cities has been something I think we have been extremely remiss on over the years.”
N.B. readers may also be interested to note that the inaugural Glasgow Mackintosh Festival took place in 2006.
