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Italy Collection
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The Giusti Plaster Cast Collection

  • GST
  • Collection
  • Late 19th century-mid 20th century

Collection of items related to the Glasgow based firm J. Giusti & Co. which specialized in the production of plaster figures, mould making, statuary repair, and other plaster work. The collection is primarily composed of plaster busts and portraits, six moulds, and two medals. The casts and moulds are formed after a range of sculptural styles including ancient Greek and Roman, French Gothic, Italian Renaissance, and 19th century anatomical studies.

The Giusti Plaster Cast Collection highlights mould making and casting processes that were used to produce objects for retail and to repair existing plaster casts. Records from The Glasgow School of Art document purchases and repairs from J. Giusti & Co. from as early as 1890, and casts related to those in the collection were widely used as teaching and learning tools at the GSA through at least mid-20th century.

As most of the items in the collection were used in commercial casting processes, very few items have a plain white, white washed, or decoratively painted surface that are often observed in plaster cast collections. Many of the plaster casts and all of the plaster moulds are widely covered with uneven layers of shellac that appear yellow, red, or brown. Shellac was applied as a sealant and resist agent to prevent existing plaster elements from sticking to fresh plaster elements during the casting process.

In addition to the plaster casts and plaster moulds, several items provide further insights into the material processes employed by J. Giusti & Co. Two medals (likely bronze) showcase the company's involvement with mould making for metal casting, and a gelatine mould is a surviving example of a traditional process used to produce detailed casts in small quantities.

Proudfoot, Alexander

Papers of Archibald Haswell Miller

  • DC 098
  • Collection
  • [1885-1943]

A variety of loose artworks, cover designs, correspondence, ephemera, and photographs completed by and belonging to Archibald Haswell Miller. The collections includes proofs for book covers and pamphlets, personal correspondence relating to his studies and subsequent career, different ephemera relating to Haswell Miller's student days and photographs of artworks and students and staff members of The Glasgow School of Art.

This collection also includes material relating to Georges-Marie Baltus (DC 098/2) , including photographs of his artworks and his Italian and European trips, and Francis H. Newbery (DC 098/3).

Miller, Archibald E Haswell

Student material by Donald Melvin, student at The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland

  • DC 074
  • Collection
  • 1960-1968

A collection of sketches, designs, photographs and lithographs by Donald Melvin completed during his time as a student at Glasgow School of Art in the 1960s.
Includes work carried out as part of courses such as, for example, Interior Design, the History of Furniture, the 2nd Year General Course, the Pre-Diploma /Foundation Course and Woodcarving.

Also includes sketches carried out during GSA summer schools abroad in Florence and in Norway, and materials relating to extra-curricular activities such as photographs of productions staged by GSA Dramatic Club and Christmas ball posters.

Melvin, Donald V

Material relating to Gerard V Murphy, former GSA student

  • DC 084
  • Collection
  • c1929-1943

A variety of drawings and graphic designs created by Gerard V. Murphy, a former student at The Glasgow School of Art in the 1930s. The diverse subjects of his drawings include animals, plants, architecture, human anatomy and figures. A subfonds titled 'Teaching examples' features his teaching materials as an art teacher at schools, intended for printmaking techniques and pattern design education.

Most items have been marked with his name or student registration numbers, assuming they were created during his time as a student at GSA. The dominant materials in his works are pencil and watercolour, worked on cartridge paper.

Some of this material was damaged in the fire in GSA's Mackintosh Building on 23rd May 2014. Paper conservation was completed in 2019.

Murphy, Gerard V