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Items in The Glasgow School of Art's Mackintosh collection include: furniture, watercolours, drawings, architectural drawings, design drawings, sketchbooks, metalwork and photographs.

Mackintosh studied evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art between 1883-1894, winning numerous student prizes and competitions including the prestigious Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship in 1890. Mackintosh and his contemporaries also produced four volumes of a publication called "The Magazine" during their time as students, which included examples of their writing and artworks. GSA Archives and Collections hold Mackintosh's Italian Sketchbook, as well as all four volumes of The Magazine, all of which can be browsed on our catalogue.

The majority of Mackintosh's three-dimensional work was created with the help of a small number of patrons within a short period of intense activity between 1896 and 1910. Francis Newbery was headmaster of The Glasgow School of Art during this time and was supportive of Mackintosh's ultimately successful bid to design a new art school building in 1896 - his most prestigious undertaking. For Miss Kate Cranston he designed a series of Glasgow tearoom interiors and for the businessmen William Davidson and Walter Blackie, he was commissioned to design large private houses, 'Windyhill' in Kilmacolm and 'The Hill House' in Helensburgh. In Europe, the originality of Mackintosh's style was quickly appreciated and in 1900 he was invited to participate at the 8th Vienna Secession.

In 1902 Mackintosh was invited to participate at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin and later at exhibitions in Moscow and Berlin. Despite this success Mackintosh's work met with considerable indifference at home. Few private clients were sufficiently sympathetic to want his 'total design' of house and interior and he was incapable of compromise.

By 1914 Mackintosh had despaired of ever receiving true recognition in Glasgow and together with his wife Margaret Macdonald he moved, temporarily, to Walberswick on the Suffolk Coastline (in England), where he painted many fine flower studies in watercolour. In 1915 the Mackintoshes settled in London and for the next few years Mackintosh attempted to resume practice as an architect and designer. The designs he produced at this time for textiles, for the 'Dug-out' Tea Room in Glasgow and the dramatic interiors for 78 Derngate in Northampton, England show him working in a bold new style of decoration, using primary colours and geometric motifs.

In 1923 the Mackintoshes left London for the South of France, finally living in Port Vendres where Mackintosh gave up all thoughts of architecture and design and devoted himself entirely to painting landscapes. He died in London, of cancer, on 10 December 1928.

The majority of Mackintosh's design work, (including furniture and metalwork), architectural drawings, textile designs and watercolours are in the possession of three public collections - The Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow Museums, and the Hunterian Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow - although significant (individual) pieces can be found in museums across the UK and Europe, North America and Japan. However, some of Mackintosh's most important, symbolist watercolours from the early to mid-1890s are to be found in the collection of The Glasgow School of Art.

The Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections hold a large number of items by Mackintosh, giving us one of the largest collections of his work held in public ownership. The collection is one of 50 Recognised Collections of National Significance to Scotland. We continue to investigate new routes of engagement for the collection. For example, our Mac(k)cessibility project in conjunction with GSA’s School of Simulation and Visualisation explores digital display and loans of our Mackintosh furniture. Find out more about the Mac(k)cessibility project here.

Includes:

• chairs
• tables
• benches
• ettles
• periodical and writing desks
• smokers' cabinets
• beds
• mirrors
• washstands
• bookcases
• cabinets
• linen presses
• dressers
• fenders
• hat, coat and umbrella stands
• a baptismal font, letter racks
• light-fittings
• clocks.

The library was destroyed by fire on 23 May 2014, though many metal and glass fragments from the lights were subsequently salvaged. Originally, and according to Mackintosh’s preparatory sketches, there were thought to be 53 individual lights in the library, each with punched holes in the inner reflectors which allowed light to pass through blue and purple glass. The central array was made up of 12 small canisters attached to the light frame on the ceiling, with eight medium pendants and five large pendants hanging below. There were an additional twelve medium canisters attached to the coffered ceiling both above and below the library balcony, making 24. Originally there were also four additional medium hanging pendants in each of the south and western window bays, though these four lights, and the medium canister in the librarians office, had all been removed before the fire in 2014, meaning there were 48 in the library. This complete light, constructed from multiple, original parts salvaged from the library was made by Rodney French of Lonsdale and Dutch, Edinburgh. This was the first light reconstructed as part of the restoration of the Library and provided valuable evidence as to how the original lights had been manufactured between 1907-09.

GSA Archives and Collections hold 216 audiovisual files, covering a range of topics and a wide date range. The audiovisual material has been created both by GSA and by external organisations, such as the BBC (television and radio), STV and ITV, other educational institutions and the Scottish Arts Council. Media in the collection include 16mm films, 35mm films, audio cassettes, audio CDs, CD Rom, DV cassette, DVD, Floppy disk, Reel to reel audios, Super 8 film, U-matic films, VHS tapes and Video 8 tapes. The audiovisual files pertain to topics including the GSA Fashion and Degree Shows, and Activities Week; students discussing their work; lectures by architects; presentations by, and interviews and conversations with, GSA alumni; centenary of the Mackintosh Building; Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh; plays; and documentaries on GSA. Please note that this material is not yet fully catalogued and therefore some items may not be accessible to researchers. As at August 2017, only the fashion show audiovisual material has been catalogued. The remaining uncatalogued material is therefore not currently accessible for researchers.

A series of facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA between 2003 and 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904 and 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room and Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 12 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2005 to replace the original armchairs (from 1906) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Board Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the orginal armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

A series of 6 facsimile armchairs were commissioned by GSA in 2003 to replace the original armchairs (from 1904) that remained in situ and in daily use within the Director's Room of Glasgow School of Art.

Poster features a grey Mackintosh portrait focusing on his moustache, grey and orange in colour. Also features line drawings of Mackintosh chairs. The exhibition of twenty Mackintosh chairs from the Glasgow School of Art's collection formed part of the opening celebrations at Norway’s newest cultural attraction, the Jugenstilsenteret (Art Nouveau Centre), in Ålesund, from the 6th June to 12th Oct 2003. Similar to Glasgow, this city is one of the founding partners of the EU-funded Réseau Art Nouveau Network. The School’s contribution was hoped to inspire further cultural and artistic ties between the two countries.

Folder containing black and white negatives and contact sheets of photographs taken by George Oliver. Most are annotated. Includes: Joan Eardley exhibitions, Mackintosh furniture and the work of Jessie M. King.