THIS week, the team from the Live Borders Museum and Gallery, Tweeddale Museum in Peebles, looks back at the history of a family plastering company ahead of a new exhibition.
Ornamental plasterers L Grandison and Son launched in 1886 when Leonard Grandison senior moved to Peebles.
He set up a decorative plastering business, catering to established houses such as Portmore and new-builds like Tantah House in Peebles.
It soon became an established and in-demand business as the company carried out projects all over Scotland, including Blair Castle, Thirlestane and others where ornate plaster ceilings were being installed or repaired.
More recently, conservations have provided much of the work, with projects taking them to the Upper Pump Room at Strathpeffer in the north, Astley Hall in Chorley to the south, Lindisfarne Castle in the east, plus Glenborrowdale House in Ardnamurchan to the west.
A special hands-on day is to be held, focusing on the history of the Peeblesshire firm, with doors opening from 10.30am tomorrow (Saturday, May 20) in the town’s Burgh Hall.
Organised by the Live Borders Tweeddale Museum team, the event celebrates the Festival of Museum weekend as one of many events throughout Scotland.
It will herald a larger exhibition later in the year.
Coffee and music will be provided by local community music school Nomad Beat, plus there are activities suitable for all ages.
In addition to discovering the history of the firm and seeing a huge range of plaster casts, visitors will be able to cast their own plaster from a mould to take home; and meet the people who have worked on various projects such as dismantling the Dunfermline Opera House before it was shipped and re-erected in Florida; and take part in a guided tour.
The tours are planned to leave the courtyard at 11am and 1.30pm and will take in the friezes of the Chambers Institution before the Aladdin’s cave of moulds and decorative plasterwork at the workshops of Grandison in Innerleithen Road.
The full exhibition, entitled Plastered! opens in the Museum Room of the Chambers Institution on June 10 and runs until July 29.
For more details contact the museum team on 01721 724820, or visit: www.liveborders.org.uk
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