Image Not Available

Letter from J. Harvey Loutit to James McBey (Personal Correspondence)

RecipientAwarded to James McBey (Newburgh, Scotland, 1883 - 1959)

SenderSent by J Harvey Loutit

AssociatedAssociated with Provost Skene's House

Date1953

Object NameLetter

Mediumtypewritten

ClassificationsMcBey

Dimensions22.5 x 18.2cm

AcquisitionPresented in 1988 by Mrs Marguerite McBey.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG008319.67

Keywords

Memorabilia

About MeLetter from J. Harvey Loutit to James McBey, dated 8 December 1953. Three pages. Loutit writes that Her Majesty the Queen Mother opened the George VI Bridge ("over the [River] Dee, opposite Allen-vale Cemetry, which now deals with the heavy south traffic since the Bridge of Dee was declared unsafe"). She also opened the Provost Skene's House as a "Period Museum" (formerly "Cumberland House" in Guestrow).

Loutit writes, on the Provost Skene's House:

"The whole house has been reconditioned as near its original as possible and looks very well, the difficulty is purchasing period furniture which would be in keeping with the rooms. In the west end a room was found which had a rather nice painted ceiling which had been preserved by being boarded over and so did not require much renovation. At one time it is thought to have been used as a chapel. The front has been quite artistically laid out as a small garden and looks quite pleasing."

He also notes that:

"Aberdeen continues to grow very rapidly and since you were here Mastrick Farm has now disappeared and has almost joined up with Bucksburn which I believe is being taken over by the Town. A new ring road is contemplated about two miles west of the present one and will run on a line Pitfoddels, Kingswells and Bucksburn approximately."

This object is part of a collection of personal correspondence to and from James McBey.

This object is part of an archive that belonged to Marguerite McBey. As a result of her generosity, Aberdeen Art Gallery holds the largest archive of James McBey's work, including prints, drawings, sketchbooks, oil paintings and memorabilia such as this letter.