Mclean Museum
Encyclopedia
The Mclean Museum and Art Gallery is a museum
and art gallery
situated in Greenock
, Inverclyde
. It is the main museum in the Inverclyde area and opened in 1876. Most notably it features an exhibition of items related to James Watt
, the Greenock-born inventor, a Mummy Cartonnage
from Herakleopolis Magna
and a collection of British
& Scottish
art
. The museum is located on Kelly Street, in the Greenock West
area, nearby the Ardgowan Tennis Club and Cedars School of Excellence
and naturalist
from Glasgow was the Museum's first curator
. In its early years the Museum was loaned items from other museums, such as the Albert Museum and National Gallery
in return that it would lend parts of its collection to these national museums for their exhibitions.
, which provided the Museum with many items for its Egyptology
collection, including a Mummy Cartonnage
from Herakleopolis Magna
and the temple stone from the Great Temple of Bast at Bubastis
. Also hosted is an Archaeology
collection including various finds such as Roman
ceramic pieces, a group of 10 Palaeolithic flint implements from Milton Street, Kent and Palaeolithic stone axes from Ireland. The James Watt
collection includes "plans and letters written by James Watt, tools and items used by him and images of him in the form of paintings, sculpture, prints and books." Also featured is a history of Inverclyde
, a Maritime
Transport collection and exhibitions of Scottish and British artwork.
and also nearby to the town centre. Free tours from the Museum's curator, George Woods are available, however, pre-booking is required. There is also a shop which stocks a variety of items including books, cards, toys, museum standard replicas, decorative and craft items. Free internet access is also available.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
situated in Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
. It is the main museum in the Inverclyde area and opened in 1876. Most notably it features an exhibition of items related to James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
, the Greenock-born inventor, a Mummy Cartonnage
Cartonnage
Cartonnage is a type of material composing Egyptian funerary masks from the First Intermediate Period onward. It was made of layers of linen or papyrus covered with plaster. Some of the Fayum mummy portraits are also painted on panels made of cartonnage....
from Herakleopolis Magna
Herakleopolis Magna
Heracleopolis or Herakleopolis Magna is the Greek name of the capital of the Twentieth nome of ancient Egypt. It was called Henen-nesut, Nen-nesu, or Hwt-nen-nesu in ancient Egyptian, meaning 'house of the royal child.' Later, it was called Hnas in Coptic, and Ahnas in medieval Arabic writings...
and a collection of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
& Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. The museum is located on Kelly Street, in the Greenock West
Greenock West
Greenock West, also known simply as the West End, is an area of Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland. The streets are in a grid like layout referred to as blocks as opposed to the irregular street patterns elsewhere in the town. It was also home to the infamous " Young West Team" Union Street is the...
area, nearby the Ardgowan Tennis Club and Cedars School of Excellence
History
The Museum originates to the Greenock Philosophical Society's burgeoning collection of artificial and natural curiosities which became a museum in 1816 as branch of the Society, housed in the Greenock library. When the Greenock Library changed location to the Watt Library, Society members added "autographs, maps, prints, coins, medals, and armour to the collection." The Society sent a report to local ship owners and masters to generate interest in the museum's collection in the hope of receiving donations. In 1863 work began on building a lecture hall and museum building, funded by local timber merchant James Mclean, who was also a member of the Philosophical Society. The new building was completed by the 3rd of November, 1876, but James Mclean was unable to attend the opening due to ill health (although he still managed to visit and inspect the Museum's contents), later dying in January of the next year. Thomas Struthers, a geologistGeologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
and naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
from Glasgow was the Museum's first curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
. In its early years the Museum was loaned items from other museums, such as the Albert Museum and National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
in return that it would lend parts of its collection to these national museums for their exhibitions.
Collections
There is range of collections and exhibitions in the Museum. Until 1914 the Mclean Museum received continuing donation from the Egypt Exploration SocietyEgypt Exploration Society
The Egypt Exploration Society is the foremost learned society in the United Kingdom promoting the field of Egyptology....
, which provided the Museum with many items for its Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
collection, including a Mummy Cartonnage
Cartonnage
Cartonnage is a type of material composing Egyptian funerary masks from the First Intermediate Period onward. It was made of layers of linen or papyrus covered with plaster. Some of the Fayum mummy portraits are also painted on panels made of cartonnage....
from Herakleopolis Magna
Herakleopolis Magna
Heracleopolis or Herakleopolis Magna is the Greek name of the capital of the Twentieth nome of ancient Egypt. It was called Henen-nesut, Nen-nesu, or Hwt-nen-nesu in ancient Egyptian, meaning 'house of the royal child.' Later, it was called Hnas in Coptic, and Ahnas in medieval Arabic writings...
and the temple stone from the Great Temple of Bast at Bubastis
Bubastis
Bubastis , also known as Tell Basta or Egyptian Per-Bast was an Ancient Egyptian city, the capital of its own nome, located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt...
. Also hosted is an Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
collection including various finds such as Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
ceramic pieces, a group of 10 Palaeolithic flint implements from Milton Street, Kent and Palaeolithic stone axes from Ireland. The James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
collection includes "plans and letters written by James Watt, tools and items used by him and images of him in the form of paintings, sculpture, prints and books." Also featured is a history of Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
, a Maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
Transport collection and exhibitions of Scottish and British artwork.
Visiting the Museum
The Museum is open on Mondays to Saturdays, from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free. There is a lack of significant designated parking area, although parking on the surrounding streets should be possible. The Museum is a short walk away from Greenock West railway stationGreenock West railway station
Greenock West railway station is a station in Greenock, Scotland, located on the Inverclyde Line which runs from Gourock to Glasgow Central. The route is currently operated by First ScotRail under the auspices of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport...
and also nearby to the town centre. Free tours from the Museum's curator, George Woods are available, however, pre-booking is required. There is also a shop which stocks a variety of items including books, cards, toys, museum standard replicas, decorative and craft items. Free internet access is also available.