Mount Stuart Trust Announces Summer Exhibition 'Comics Uncovered: From Glasgow to Gotham'
18th May 2023
Mount Stuart Trust Announces Summer Exhibition 'Comics Uncovered: From Glasgow to Gotham'
Kerr Dickson, Comics enthusiast and Gardener at Mount Stuart Trust inspects the exhibition ahead of opening
This summer, Mount Stuart will unveil the Bute Collection's comic books to the public for the first time when its summer exhibition 'Comics Uncovered: From Glasgow to Gotham' opens on Saturday 20th May.
This summer, Mount Stuart will unveil the Bute Collection's comic books to the public for the first time when its summer exhibition 'Comics Uncovered: From Glasgow to Gotham' opens on Saturday 20th May.
The exhibition uncovers the evolution of comics, from the anarchic satirists of the Georgian era to the mavericks of modern comics. A range of artists, writers, and publishers from the UK, Europe and the USA will be shown in Mount Stuart's Armoury, including work by James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson, Jonathan Swift, Punch, Charles Dickens, George Belcher, DC Thomson, DC Comics, Marvel and much more.
Well-known characters such as Dare Devil, Blank Panther and Spiderman will sit alongside first editions of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, William Hogarth’s The Analysis of Beauty, and The Satires of Juvenal and Persius, which dates to 1544.
Elizabeth Ingham, Librarian at Mount Stuart Trust, said: "Epic superheroes can be seen all over the world today, and while we might be most familiar with them on the silver screen, they did not debut in the movies; they were first seen printed in books, periodicals and as caricatures. With rising public interest in many well-known characters, it felt like the perfect time to share the origins of comics and shine a light on lesser-known characters, who have been equally as influential in the history of this multi-modal form as our modern superheroes."
In addition to the exhibition, which can be viewed throughout the summer open season, Mount Stuart will host a series of events, including private guided exhibition tours, talks with real-life heroes of the comic book world, as well as comic book and zine-making workshops.
The exhibition tours will give visitors the chance to delve into the detail of three eras of comics from the exhibition, and see exclusive items from the Bute Collection that are not on display.
- 5th July 11:00am – 12:00pm: Georgian Satire and the Rise of Caricature
- 2nd August 11:00am – 12:00pm: Victorian Comics: Establishing the Form
- 4th October 11:00am – 12:00pm: Silver & Bronze Age American Comic Books
Children from the local community will also be able to explore the collection in more detail through a week of children's summer activities led by Achievement Bute.
Dorothy McDonald, Director of Achievement Bute, said: "Achievement Bute is delighted to be collaborating with Mount Stuart Trust to provide a week of children's summer activities inspired by the Comics Uncovered exhibition. During the week commencing 7th August, children will have the opportunity to create their own caricatures, design their own comics, and on the final day whole families will be invited to turn detective and try to discover the missing superheroes who have somehow got lost in the grounds of Mount Stuart.”
Comics Uncovered: Exhibition can be viewed during Mount Stuart opening hours from 20th May 2023 to 20th October 2024, with tickets available to purchase in advance online
This summer will also see Mount Stuart Trust welcome a major new commission from Monster Chetwynd, opening on 10 June 2023 and running until 20 August 2023. Titled Moths - Monster Chetwynd will tackle urgent global issues through a celebratory approach. For this project, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, Monster has been working with local school children on a performance based project that focuses on moths : a species she continues to champion and highlight in her work as well as being one which is redolent with art historical allegory and, more anxiously, curatorial concerns.
For more information contact
Lucy Laidlaw
Lucy@lucylaidlaw.co.uk | 07834228951 | www.lucylaidlaw.co.uk
Photographs of the Bute Collection's comics are available to download here. They are free to use, but please credit ‘The Bute Collection at Mount Stuart’.
Notes to Editors
- The exhibition can be viewed during standard opening hours from 20th May to 29th October 2023.
- Tickets can be purchased in advance online or on arrival at the Round-house.
- Adult tickets are priced at £20.50, which includes standard House & Gardens admission. Mount Stuart members go free.
- The exhibition is situated in the Armoury, which is adjacent to the Marble Hall. Lift access is available on this floor.
About Mount Stuart Trust
Mount Stuart Trust is a Charitable Trust managed by a board of independent Trustees, which works to facilitate public interest, understanding and appreciation of the arts, architecture, and the rural environment. The Trust manages and maintains a series of assets across the Island of Bute, including Mount Stuart House and Gardens, which have been open to the public since 1995.
The Bute Collection is generously loaned to the Mount Stuart Trust and is one of the UK's foremost private historical collections, dating from the 12th century to the present. Collected by successive generations of the Crichton Stuart family, the Bute Collection consists of spectacular fine and decorative art, an internationally significant archive, and historic libraries comprised of over 27,000 books.