Achi news desk-
Located in historic Glasgow Green on the north bank of the River Clyde, the People’s Palace officially opened on January 22, 1898 and was intended as a resource for city workers. There were high levels of poverty in the surrounding areas at the time and the idea was to enable communities to have easy access to the amenities provided by the new building, such as a reading room, gallery and spaces for performances. The imposing sandstone building was designed by the architect Alexander Beith McDonald, who held the post of City Engineer and Surveyor with the Corporation of Glasgow at the time and was also responsible for Govanhill Baths and the Bellahouston Park scheme. At the back of the building is the Winter Gardens, a huge greenhouse which was the only place in Scotland you could find bananas during the Second World War.
What exactly is happening?
The dignitary who officiated at the inauguration in 1898 was Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. He praised “a palace of pleasure and imagination around which the people can place their love” and declared that it was “open to the people forever and ever.” Unfortunately, significant periods of decline have seen the building regularly close – before the centenary in 1998, for example, when there was extensive renovation work. Or in 2019, after safety concerns have been raised and millions of pounds worth of necessary repairs identified. But even before the closure of those debates raged over the fate of the People’s Palace and its important collection of artefacts tracing Scotland’s social history. Now the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens will close again for repairs estimated to cost £36 million. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life (the charity that oversees culture in the city) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
When will it close?
Sunday April 14 is the day set aside for the shutters to come down which means there are only two weeks left to visit. Entry is free and opening hours are 10am to 5pm (Monday to Thursday, and Saturday) and between 11am and 5pm on Friday and Sunday. “With spring just around the corner and the school holidays only a few weeks away, we would encourage as many people as possible to take this last chance to see the Palace before we close the doors and continue working with local communities on this exciting transformation,” said Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life.
What is there to see?
The museum has a rich collection that traces, marks and commemorates many critical moments in Scottish social history, although a bone of contention over the years has been how much of the collection is stored and not visible. But among the most popular exhibits still on display today are Billy Connolly’s famous ‘banana shoes’, Rab C Nesbit’s trademark string vest, a one-headed flat reconstruction, paintings such as Andrew Hay’s The Steamie and a 19th century Glasgow Fair painting by John Knox (not that one), and a replica of the iconic Barrowland Ballroom sign.
When will it reopen?
The intention is for the museum to reopen in 2027 before its 130th birthday the following year.
