Our intern, Javier Garcia, tells us about the work he undertook cataloguing and digitising the papers of Archibald Haswell Miller.
Before undertaking my internship with the Archives and Collections, I knew little of The Glasgow School of Art beyond its position as an elite academic institution, and the prominent place it has held within the urban fabric of the city for over a century. Through the University of Glasgow’s career service, I was presented the opportunity to get first-hand experience in cataloguing and digitising one of GSA’s collections.
Over six weeks, I was entrusted with cataloguing the Papers of Archibald Haswell Miller, former member of staff at GSA and Keeper of the National Galleries of Scotland. The collection, most of which is directly related to Haswell Miller’s days as a student and lecturer in the institution, consists of an eclectic mix of material, including designs, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs. There are a number of items, mostly photographs, relating to Georges-Marie Baltus and Francis H. Newbery, who coincided with Haswell Miller as academic staff at GSA.
While the collection seemed to have been relatively structured prior to being deposited, there was a certain degree of inconsistency in the way it had been arranged. This lack of order led to one of the most enjoyable aspects of my internship, as it opened up the history of the institution to me. As a result of organising and arranging the different collection items, I started to familiarise myself with the figure of Haswell Miller, his beginnings as a budding artist and his academic role.
Miller seemed a faceless man initially, though I had my suspicions that a certain gentleman featured in a high number of photographs might be the star of the gig. And, indeed, he was. I eventually encountered several photographs disclosing his identity, taking me from his days as a playful, quirky art student nicknamed the “Glasgow-Muller”, during his year abroad at the Academy of Fine Arts of Munich, to his senior days as a lecturer.
In the 1920s, Haswell Miller collaborated with big publishing houses such as Blackie and Son and Blackwood and Sons designing numerous covers for books that encouraged readers to venture into distant lands to explore family disputes and military conflict. He provided illustrations for front covers and spines.
The correspondence he exchanged with the publishers gives us some insight into the type of work he completed and his disagreements, even when this is not held at GSA. As an example, Donald A. MacKenzie provides us with a written account of Haswell Miller’s historically inaccurate but charming depiction of Viking warriors that was not accepted by Blackie and Son.
One of the most interesting aspects of the collection was the presence of photographs featuring the works and trips of Georges-Marie Baltus, a Belgian artist and former lecturer at GSA. This part of the collection seemed somehow detached from the rest. While the link between Haswell Miller and Baltus as contemporary GSA staff exists, the forty photographs of Baltus’ trips kept by Miller may hint at what could have been a strong bond between the two. Baltus went back to his home country on the outbreak of the First World War never to return to Glasgow, and may have stayed in touch with his friend over the years.
The numerous photographs contained within the Papers of Archibald Haswell Miller bring the collection to life and made the cataloguing experience even more enjoyable. They enabled me to get a better glimpse of higher education at the time, introduced me to some significant characters and encouraged me to make my own suppositions about their links.
By the end of the internship, I can simply say I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and have gained valuable experience that will definitely make an impact in my future career, for which I am very grateful. I had the opportunity to work, learn and laugh alongside a small, yet versatile team of staff and volunteers who has supported me all along and made me feel welcome from the very first moment.
Come in to the archive to treat yourselves. The Whisky Bond is a unique, surprising place and the GSA Archives and Collections are at the core of it for anyone to enjoy. Until the next time!
