· New memorial with words by Louise Welsh and typography by Edwin Pickstone recognises the contribution of GSA students, staff and governors on the Home Front in WWI
· The Memorial was unveiled by James McBroom whose father, James Nicol McBroom, is one of these remembered
Images: James McBroom who unveiled the Home Front Memorial on the evening of 11 November 2019;
James Nicol McBroom c 1918, one the GSA students whose work on the Home Front is celebrated in the new Memorial; poster for a student fundraiser to support the Red Cross in WWI
James Nicol McBroom c 1918, one the GSA students whose work on the Home Front is celebrated in the new Memorial; poster for a student fundraiser to support the Red Cross in WWI
The First World War had a significant and lasting impact on families, organisations and communities. In the years after the war a huge number of memorials were created to commemorate the sacrifices of those who fought and those who fell including the GSA’s own memorial created by Dorothy Dodderell.
At the same time thousands of people undertook vital work on the Home Front and this work is much less frequently remembered. On Armistice Day 2019 the GSA unveiled a memorial recognising the work of its staff and students who dedicated their lives to serving on the Home Front during WWI. With text by the acclaimed writer, Louise Welsh, and typography by Edwin Pickstone the three-panel work is inspired by material held in The Glasgow School of Art’s Archives and Collections.
“For some time we had felt the GSA should mark the contribution of our staff and students who served on the Home Front,” explains Susannah Waters, Archives and Collections Manager
at The Glasgow School of Art. “We began our research in earnest in 2016 looking though our Archives to find out what we could about GSA staff and students who remained in the UK during the First World War and undertook home front activities.”
“We were delighted to be able to work with the acclaimed writer, Louise Welsh, who is a former Writer in Residence at GSA, and Edwin Pickstone, lecturer, Typography Technician and Designer in Residence at GSA, to make this new memorial which will complement the Dorothy Dodderell memorial to all the GSA staff, students and governors who fought in WWI”
“We are also very grateful to James McBroom who has generously supported the creation of the Home Front Memorial.”
“The Glasgow School of Art, Home Front Memorial is inspired by GSA archives for 1914-19,” adds Louise Welsh. “The archives for those years are interspersed with letters and death noticed on black edged paper. Nevertheless the voices of students and staff of the era feel alive. The people of the Home Front lived in desperately challenging times. They responded with courage, gravity, hard work and imagination. Their hopes and dreams mirror those of staff and students I work with today. It has been a privilege to read and respond to their words.”
The memorial was unveiled by James McBroom whose father had been one of those GSA students who had worked on the Home Front in WWI. James Nicol McBroom, had been a student at the GSA from 1914-1917. Unable to go on active military duty due to ill health, James was assigned to munitions work during the war.
“My father was a student at The Glasgow School of Art from 1915-1917and also served on the Home Front during the first world war,”says James McBroom. “His health wasn’t good during the war and he wasn’t accepted for military service. Instead he was redirected to munitions work at Alexander Finlays, so he helped from the Home Front.”
“I’ve been following the Archives work on this project for the last five years and I’m delighted by the memorial. I think it is a fitting tribute to people from The Glasgow School of Art who were involved on the Home Front like my father.”
The Home Front Memorial will be on show initially in the chapel at Glasgow University where Louise Welsh is Professor of Creative Writing. It will then come home to The Glasgow School of Art as a partner to the Dorothy Dodderell memorial.
Ends
For further information, images and interviews contact:
Lesley Booth
07799414474
press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia
press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia
Notes for Editors
In 2015, a project supported by a Scottish Council on Archives and Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future traineeship, explored and documented the stories behind the 405 names listed on GSA’s WWI Roll of Honour. In 2016, research started into GSA students and staff who remained in the UK during the war and undertook home front activities with support from a team of volunteers . This formed the basis of the new Home Front Memorial, generously funded by Mr James McBroom, whose father, James Nicol McBroom was a prize-winning student at the School and was assigned to munitions work during the war
James Nicol McBroomwas a student at The Glasgow School of Art from 1915-1917, where he studied drawing and painting. He was a distinguished student and prize winner; awarded the 2nd place prize in the Anatomy school award in the 1916-17 session. This prize was valued at £2 2s and 3 prizes were awarded in this session. James was also awarded the Windsor and Newton prize in the session 1915-1916 and in 1917 he gained a Diploma in drawing and painting.
During World War I James was not able to go on active military duty due to ill health, but he was assigned to munitions work during the war. from 30th April 1918 – 29th December 1921 he was employed at the offices of Alexander Findlay and company (engineers) in Motherwell. During this time he also utilised the skills he had learnt whilst studying at Glasgow school of Art to create a WWI Role of Honour for his local parish, Dalziel St Andrews Parish Church in Motherwell. He also designed a war memorial for Alexander Findlay.
Very active in the local community during WWII, James undertook fire watching duties from the rooftop of Dalziel High School, looking out for any fires which may have started due to bombs being dropped during air raids.
James went on to become an art teacher at St Johns Grammar in Hamilton and Wishaw High School. He later held the post of Head of the Art Department at Lanark Grammar in 1937.
Each year at The Glasgow School of Art there is a James Nicol McBroom Memorial Prize for fine art. This prize is awarded to a student of painting and printmaking whose work will be purchased for the GSA’s own Archives and Collections.
James Nicol McBroom died in 1983 aged 87.