For over 150 years the studios and corridors of The Glasgow School of Art have been adorned with an extensive collection of plaster casts – a diverse mix of life-size Greek, Roman and medieval figures, smaller anatomical examples and a selection of architectural detailing and decorations. The casts also offer means of understanding contemporary patterns of collecting. Many of the early examples were donated by bodies such as the Glasgow Dilettanti Society and the Glasgow Architectural Society, and later on, there was an accelerated process of acquisition to replace damaged pieces or to acquire multiple copies of popular in-demand items, some of which were loaned from the School to other educational institutions. These later acquisitions were purchased from one of a number of British and European companies who provided trade catalogues; and of these companies, Giusti and Co., a Glasgow-based firm specializing in plaster mold making and casting, retained links with GSA until the late 1990s.

Plaster casts were important teaching aids from the School’s earliest years when ‘drawing from the antique’ was a key component in the structured programme of art education managed by the Department of Science and Art and known as the South Kensington system. By the mid-20th century, teaching from casts had become less fashionable, and it is known that entire cast collections were disposed of at art schools across the UK. At The GSA, however, there was always sufficient interest shown by individual staff and students for the collection to be retained. In addition, the casts’ association with the interior of the celebrated Mackintosh Building has meant that their relevance has taken on an added cultural significance.

In 2014 the Mackintosh Building suffered a dramatic fire, and many of the plaster casts were damaged. For some, the effects were relatively light, and these casts found a temporary home in the GSA’s Reid Building, where their presence offers an interesting juxtaposition to Steven Holl’s contemporary architectural response to the Mackintosh Building. For other items in the collection, the effects of heat and smoke were devastating. This ushered in a remarkable phase in the casts’ story: an unprecedented conservation campaign led by Graciela Ainsworth that sought to preserve them “as were” immediately after the fire. The intent was not to preserve them “in amber”, but as objects that proudly wear their scars. As such, their aura and patina carries unique and renewed meanings. As part of the re-opening of the Mackintosh Building in 2019, the collection of plaster casts will be re-installed as proud members of the GSA community. No longer simply a backdrop, they now represent objects of memory and experience, and the collection of plaster casts will contribute towards new creative directions for staff and students alike.