Museum in 'cradle of 1745 rising' toasts new Jacobite treasures
The new acquisitions add to one of the best Jacobite collections in the country, which is found in the Highlands.
A small museum in the ‘cradle of the 1745 Rising’ is toasting new acquisitions on the 100th anniversary of its Jacobite collection.
West Highland Museum in Fort William now holds an original portrait of Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald for the first time following a successful auction bid. Meanwhile, a flintock pistol made in Inverness in the early 18th Century will soon go on display to fill a “significant gap” in the museum’s collection.
The acquisitions have been made to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Jacobite exhibition at the museum set up in the heartlands of the rising launched by Prince Charles Edward Stuart to return his family line to the British throne.
Vanessa Martin, curator of West Highland Museum, said: “ We do regard ourselves as the cradle of the 1745 rising . The rising began here in Glenfinnan and Bonnie Prince Charlie was on the run here after Culloden. He left Lochaber when he fled to France and took with him Cameron of Lochiel, who was injured at the battle. He was of course the local laird here and died in exile in 1747. So everything is very much connected to the area.”
Ms Martin said the portrait of Flora MacDonald, who helped the prince escape after his defeat on April 16, 1746, added to 16 items in the museum collection linked to her.
The 1829 portrait miniature was painted in watercolour on ivory by G. Murray and was first exhibited at the Stuart exhibition in London in 1888.
Ms Martin said: “Although we have 16 objects of material culture in our collection attributed to the Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald, we do not have an original portrait of her.
“We are grateful for the support of Art Fund and National Fund for Acquisitions for making this acquisition possible.
“This lovely miniature will add context to our existing collection as visitors will now be able to see an image of Flora in the exhibition alongside the objects believed once to have belonged to her.”
Meanwhile, Ms Martin said the museum was “delighted” to acquire the “rare and beautifully decorated" early 18th century Scottish flintlock all metal scroll butt belt pistol, which was made in Inverness by Alexander Cameron.
She added: “Although the museum has one of the best Jacobite collections in Scotland, we do not have a pistol on display in our Jacobite gallery, and this is a significant gap in our collecting especially as the focus of Jacobitism in Lochaber was the 1745 military campaign.”
The museum was grateful for the support of the National Fund for Acquisitions, E.A. Cameron, and Michael Foxley for their assistance in buying the item, Ms Martin said.
West Highland Museum was founded by Victor Hodgson, who moved from the south east of England to the West Highlands in the early 1920s and set about collecting artefacts relating to crofthouses before his interest gave way to Jacobite relics. He managed to procure many items on loan from local landowners, some which remain in the collection today.
Among his most popular finds was the secret portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie , an anamorphic painting of the Jacobite leader which can be viewed only by placing a glass cylinder over it. Found in a London junk shop, the portrait was part of Jacobite drinking culture and allowed followers to toast their ‘King Over the Water’ out of plain sight.
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