People's Palace Glasgow
People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green
People’s Palace
Glasgow Green
Glasgow
G40 1AT
0141 276 0788
The People's Palace & Doulton Fountain
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
The People’s Palace is surrounded by Glasgow Green in the East End of the City of Glasgow. The area once was highly overcrowded and not a healthy place to live.
The People’s Palace was designed by renowned architect Alexander Beith McDonald, who was the City Engineer at the time.
The People’s Palace Museum houses interesting artefacts about the social history of Glasgow and its wider impact on the world.
Its history covers a wide period of time, from 1750 to modern times.
The People’s Palace has had a variety of uses, over its floors since opening.
It was opened 22 January 1898 by Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, who at the time declared the building "Open to the people for ever and ever".
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Copyright
On display is much of note.
Glasgow’s social history is easy to view in a variety of media forms, including film and interactive computer displays.
In exhibitions the many paintings, prints and photographs show how Glaswegians worked, lived and played in the past.
It offers much to attract and keep the interest of people of all ages, from Tobacco Lords to Trade Unions and everything in between, with thought given to keeping youngsters entertained.
Co-operative
Tollcross Society Women's Guild Carmyle Branch
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
It also displays its collection of banners and explains the use of such banners to attempt to influence thinking over history.
Co-operation Means
Peace And Prosperity
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
Buttercup Dairy Company Limited
Reconstructed shop of the famous Buttercup Dairy Company Limited gives a flavour of shopping of the time. Andrew Ewing changed the face of shopping with his 250 High-street Scottish retail shopping empire. He also gave away one-hundred thousand eggs a week from his large chicken-farm enterprise.
Buttercup Dairy
Company Limited
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
The Single End
In a special gallery the story of housing in Glasgow is explored over the changing centuries and is known as The Single End.
The Museum has reconstructed a typical 1930s single-room house, which would have been occupied by a family of the time to meet their needs.
Conditions were cramped and the exhibition gives a real, tactile and aromatic feel, in its reconstruction.
Public Baths and Wash Houses
Public Baths and
Wash Houses
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
Washing in the early 20th Century occurred in public baths and wash houses.
The People’s Museum have recreated the clothes washing stalls, which give a good idea of what doing laundry would felt like at the time.
It was also a place where women could get together to have a natter and gossip.
Wash House
Bye-Laws
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
Barrowlands Ballroom
Glaswegians enjoyed dancing in their spare-time.
The leading dance hall in Scotland was in Glasgow, which is called the Barrowlands Ballroom.
Today the Ballroom is now used as a venue for popular musical concerts.
The People’s Palace Museum have recreated what it was like to be at the Barrowlands for dancing, through its interactive multi-media exhibitions.
Maggie’s McIver’s Gate
Maggie’s McIver’s Gate
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
The Founder of Glasgow's Barrowlands Ballroom' and the Barras Market was Maggie McIver.
On the walkway to the People’s Palace is a Memorial carved into the pavement in tribute.
Jamieson’s Entrance Plaque
A Jamieson Floor Plaque
Felicity McCullough Copyright 2013
Inscription reads: -
"Standin' alone in the red sandstone
Wi' a big dome and steeple
The place vibrates wi' the Glesga' Greats
For the workin' man they spoke
Be you grave or gallus,
take a trip to the Palace
It belangs to the Glesa' Folk
A. Jamieson Mid-20th century
My journey through the People’s Palace was most pleasurable. I was greeted with a warm welcome and it was explained to me where the exhibits were.
The entrance lobby matched the grandiose nature of the exterior of the building, as did the staircase leading up to the upper-floor display areas.
I lingered somewhat at the dance exhibition, because the stories my mother had told me about dancing on Plymouth Hoe, came to life for me for the first time.
The Cooperative memorabilia, also caught my attention, due to my interest in the history of Co-operative Societies.
After availing myself of the conveniences, I gapped at the views from the upper-floor of the building, pausing to take photographs of the interesting surroundings, through the windows.
The staircase on the way back down led me to the reconstructed rooms, which could be gazed at over the ornate swirls of the banner-stairs’ railings.
Whilst not a very large museum, the artefacts were sufficiently interesting to take time to ponder over and enjoy. Much thought had clearly been put into making the exhibits come-to-life.
There are many photographs from the People’s Palace, Doulton Fountain, which is outside the front of the building and the Winter Gardens in my book, Glasgow A Photographic Glimpse.
I also chose the magnificent Dome of the People's Palace to adorn the front cover of my book.
The book is available in many formats from Amazon and other good book retailers, or by clicking the buy button below.
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Photograph Credits:
Archibald
Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs:
Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "Portraits." The New
York Public Library Digital Collections.
Articles: -
Links: -
How to get to the People’s Palace
How to get to the Winter Gardens
How to get to Glasgow Green
Banner Tales of Glasgow
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