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The construction of the building was financed by the proceeds of the 1888 International Exhibition and it allowed the city`s collections to be brought together in one place. Its style has been called Hispanic Baroque but there is a mixture of influences and its design got a poor reception from the Scottish architectural profession; the fact that the winners of the prestigious architectural competition were English didn`t help. Early reactions to the building included `far too much a casino sadly wanting in sobriety`. It`s an
oft-repeated story (and for the sake of completeness, it is re-told here)
that the museum was built back to front in error and that the architect
committed suicide when he realised what had happened - the tale is always
strenuously denied of course, but it`s part of Glasgow folklore. What
is true, however, is that when the building was the centrepiece of the
1901
International Exhibition, the other (temporary) buildings were erected
facing the museum`s rear entrance so this side assumed the role of the
main entrance.
This article is based on the guidebook "The Glasgow Guide". |
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This statue of St Mungo is the main work of art at the rear of the building. |
List
of Kelvingrove Park articles:
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Kelvingrove Park |
The
Scotland Guide: links | ||||
Scotland:
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Glasgow:
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The
Scotland Bookshop: links | ||||
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