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King's Park; Stirling's Overlooked Jewel

30/7/2013

 
Picture
This important conference will he held in the Smith Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 31st August. Get an outline flyer here or full details here; this is a FREE EVENT but you need to make your own arrangements for lunch.

It is an honour to be speaking at this conference, the first attempt at an overview of the history of the park and its changing role. It is held at a critical time, when the future ownership and management of these major landscapes is under discussion.

The local importance of these landscapes is obvious; for leisure, for tourism, for views, for wildlife. Culturally, they are important at a European level, rare survivors of the royal past.

So, whatever your interests, come along, listen and contribute.



Nails in Scotland c. 1500-c.1800

19/7/2013

 
Picture'Polite' side of door in Argyll's Lodging, with bell-headed nails (Photo Author)
I blogged about this project previously though pressure of work has meant it has taken longer than expected to finalise it.

Some of my friends have smiled at the whole idea though most are half converted by my enthusiastic rant about nails; the rest usually at least admit that, if Adam Smith thought they were important, then they are worth a second thought.

If fact, without a vast supply of nails, the industrial transformation of the eighteenth century could not have happened; nails secured the new, architect-designed buildings, the navies, the colonial development - the log cabin and the White House, if you will.

Smith, who was brought up in Kirkcaldy, knew what he was talking about when he saw the nail trade as a paradigm of the benefits of specialisation since one of the main centres of the Scots nail trade was on his doorstep, as readers will see.

I have put this work here in the hope of comments and that someone else will take the study forward - there is lots to do and I would be happy to help with thoughts and references.



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    John G Harrison is a historian, working on a wide range of topics related to Scottish history, from architecture to wildlife. Take a scroll through the site to find out more. And feel free to contact John or to comment via the blog.

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