|
 Charles
Rennie Mackintosh
Part
3: More of his work
Above:
The Mackintosh Room in the Glasgow School of Art. © Glasgow School
of Art Enterprises Ltd.
The room pictured above began as
the School's boardroom, to be used for Governors' meetings but
in the early years of the new building, when they were still trying
to raise money to finish it, space was at a premium so the room
was used as an extra studio. Its large high windows, allowing
maximum light into the room, made it ideal.
Now it is again used as a boardroom
and the furniture and light fittings shown have been donated by
the Davidson family, for whom Mackintosh designed Windy Hill.
Note the high-backed chairs, typical of the style associated with
Mackintosh.
Miss Cranston's Tearooms
Tea rooms became very popular in Glasgow towards the end of
the 19th century. Miss Kate Cranston was largely responsible for
this popularity. She opened her first  tea
room with the idea that it would be more than just a place to
eat or drink. She had rooms for women only, men only and for men
and women. Her tea rooms attracted a wide social range from servants
to ladies and gentlement.
Miss Cranston commissioned Mackintosh
to provide murals for one of her tea rooms and this was the start
of a 20 year association between the two culminating in his complete
design for the exterior, interior and furnishings for the Willow
Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street. He was responsible for every
detail right down to the teaspoons and
menus.
The chair illustrated above reflects
the willow tree in its lattice work back. It also divided a white
room from a dark coloured room. It was here that the manageress
sat and placed orders by dropping different coloured balls down
a tube to the kitchen. The high-backed chairs so typical of Mackintosh
were also used here as well as other tea rooms belonging to Miss
Cranston.
© All pictures
on this page are the the copyright of Glasgow School of Art Enterprises
Ltd and should not be used without their express permission.
Copyright © 2001 by Carol
Fisher
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