The Incorporation of Wrights Window, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
16th of September, 2024
Glasgow Royal Infirmary,
An Infirmary, as a permanent institution for the relief of the poor, and associated distress had been proposed by Physician Dr Stevensen, in a letter to the Town Council.
The Town Council agreed to support the scheme with a donation of £500.
By 1784; the Town Council had for some time been enquiring about the ownership of the derelict Bishops Castle, which was near the Cathedral. This for many years had been used as a source of material for other local new buildings.
The site was subsequently secured by the Town Council and a Royal Charter obtained in 1791.
The new Royal Infirmary, designed by Robert and James Adam, was opened in December 1794.
The members of the Trades House in 1794 had voted to donate £400 towards the project. A further £200 was donated in 1815, to support the construction of additional buildings.
The Incorporation of Wrights in Glasgow Window
July 1914, the original Adam building was replaced with a new one designed by Architect James Miller.
A long corridor connected a previously opened extension to the older part of the Infirmary.
Alex Graham, Property Manager, at the Royal Infirmary, and Director of Education of The Incorporation of Wrights, wondered if the walk along the long corridor could be enhanced, made more relaxing for both patients and visitors.
He suggested that the existing windows could be replaced by panels depicting aspects of the 14 Craft Incorporations. The Clyde emblematically flowing through and linking each window along the corridor. A blue eye line.
They would add colour to the corridor and highlight the well-established link between The Trades House and the Royal Infirmary.
The idea was further extended to involve students on an appropriate course, at the City of Glasgow College. They would be invited to design and produce a window.
The Initial plan was to produce a window a year, which it was hoped could be expanded to two a year.
The first window to be commissioned would be for the Incorporation of Wrights, followed by the Masons then the Coopers and Fleshers?
The scheme was subsequently approved by both by the Royal Infirmary, who would install each window, and The Trades House.
Alex Graham, was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer and as a result his involvement in the project had to be reduced. However, a promise was made to him that the Wrights Window would be the first to be installed and unveiled.
Clerk of the Wrights, Tom Monteith together with Eilidh McKenzie, Course Leader, at City of Glasgow College, Art Glass and Glazing Course; invited students to undertake their own research and produce a suitable design for a stained-glass window.
The students visited Trades House to research and obtain background into each Craft and to also view the existing craft associated glazed panels.
Although the students were given a free hand to interpret aspects of each craft within their designs. They were advised that each window was to be craft specific, and that it was intended that the Clyde should symbolically run though each one of them. To be a continuous blue ribbon along the corridor.
All participating students were asked to accept the winning design for each window, and subsequently work together on it.
At a Master Court, Deacon Graeme McDonald and Clerk Tom Monteith were authorised to approve the design for the Wrights Window and initiate its production. The intention being to complete it within the course year, and hopefully for an unveiling in August 2018.
The winning design for the Wrights Window was approved, worked-on and completed by the students.
Civil Engineering Contractors, R. McAlpine, must have heard about the project as a donation of lead, suitable for the project, was received from them.
As agreed, the completed Wrights Window was installed by the staff of the Royal Infirmary and officially unveiled by the widow of Alex Graham on the 27th August 2018.
Since then, three other windows have been designed completed and fitted, The Incorporations of Masons, Coopers, and Fleshers.