On my bookshelf - Museums Association

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On my bookshelf

Sarah Heaton selects The Making of Am Fasgadh by IF Grant
Sarah Heaton
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IF Grant begins her account of the formation of the Highland Folk Museum at a turbulent time in 20th-century history, starting in the interwar period and continuing past 1945.

The “old ways” were being lost and, keen to preserve as much as she could, Grant travelled all over the Highlands gathering objects, information and stories.

With flashes of eccentricity and steely determination, this memoir demonstrates the frustrations and excitements of collecting and building a museum from scratch, particularly in a male-dominated world.

Her account takes us from her influences in the early days and her fascination with the Scandinavian open-air museums to opening her first museum on Iona and, finally, housing her collection at Kingussie in the Cairngorms.

There are many stories and anecdotes about the people who helped and hindered her, some written with great humour, and the passion for her project comes through on every page.

Grant’s fascinating collection is now housed in the new purpose-built Am Fasgadh store at the Highland Folk Museum.

Sarah Heaton is the curator (collections care) at High Life Highland, Inverness Museum & Art Gallery. She is also a Museums Association representative for Scotland


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