The Tenement House NTS

We're back this Sunday, right on cue, as we dive into our series showcasing our volunteers' favorite pieces from the collection! Next up is Jean's top pick: the pocket watch holder. Blink and you might miss it—this wee gem always has folks scratching their heads! 🤔
It’s made up of two parts: a metal stand with a circular backpiece that once sported a plush red velvet covering (perfect for your pocket watch to hang from), and a stunning mother of pearl dish for the chain. With this beauty, you could check the time at a glance, even if you were still in your pajamas! Now that’s what we call style, even in your Sunday best—or worst!

Jean says: 'I love the pocket watch holder because, in its original state, it would have been beautiful with a red velvet back. Safe storage for an object used daily!' Cheers to that!

Here at Tenement House, our volunteers are the real gems of our collection—each with their own quirky favorites! 💎 Join us for a wee series where we spotlight our fabulous volunteers and the treasures they adore each Sunday. This series has been created by our brilliant Visitor Services Assistant, Emily, who deserves a massive cheer for her efforts! 🎉Prepare for laughs, stories, and maybe even a bit of banter! Who knows, you might just find a new favorite yourself!
First up, we have Maddy and Sheila C's pick: The Grandfather Clock

"I love the grandfather clock because the ticking is a really peaceful sound, and I love the chime on the hour (we had a grandfather clock in our hallway when I was growing up)."
"It is wonderful that a clock built in the 1790s, beautiful itself, is still fully functioning today".

A wee bit of background: The grandfather clock is aptly named as Agnes inherited it from her paternal grandfather along with other items in the house. It was produced in Dumbarton, the town where her grandfather stayed, by a man called John Key- as you can see from the inscription on the clockface.
Our clock is indeed still ticking (although sometimes you might catch it a minute or two behind) and it gets wound up every week, If you've got the time, next time you visit us, stick around to hear it chime on the hour!

A reminder that we are taking part in Glasgow’s Doors Open Festival this weekend! 🎉

Tickets must be booked in advance on the Glasgow Doors Open website to avoid disappointment.

Tenement is open from 10am until 5pm with our last entry at 4:30

Join us at the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2024 and be a part of something truly remarkable!

We are thrilled to invite you to our event during this week-long celebration of Glasgow's cultural heritage, taking place this September 16-22.

📅 Date: Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September
⏲️ Time: 10am - 5pm (last timed entry 4:30)
🖥 Tickets are free and must be booked in advance.

Visit https://brnw.ch/21wMptV for information on how to reserve your spot. Bookings go live on September 6th!

Explore how immigration and emigration have shaped Glasgow into the multicultural hub it is today through this year’s theme "We're All Here": Diversity & Diaspora.

Spread the word, invite your friends, and come along to share this magical journey with us.

Tenement House will be closed Sunday 15th September due to staff shortages.

We apologise for any disappointment this may cause.

We will reopen again from 10am tomorrow

As the leaves begin to turn and the nights start to creep in, we are starting to get into the Halloween spirit 🍂👻

Join us this October for Spirits of the Tenements with Cara Hamilton and learn about the Victorian fascination with occultism and the afterlife in our gas-lit parlour 🔮

Tickets must be booked and are available on Eventbrite. Click the link in our top comment to book

Spirits of the Tenements Go back to late Victorian Glasgow for a special evening at the Tenement House with a performance from "Cara Hamilton" in the gas-lit parlour

Join us at the Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival 2024 and be a part of something truly remarkable!

We are thrilled to invite you to our event during this week-long celebration of Glasgow's cultural heritage, taking place this September 16-22.

📅 Date: Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September
⏲️ Time: 10am - 5pm (last timed entry 4:30)
🖥 Tickets are free and must be booked in advance.

Visit https://brnw.ch/21wMptV for information on how to reserve your spot. Bookings go live on September 6th!

Explore how immigration and emigration have shaped Glasgow into the multicultural hub it is today through this year’s theme "We're All Here": Diversity & Diaspora.

Spread the word, invite your friends, and come along to share this magical journey with us.

Love history and heritage? Want to be part of Scotland's largest conservation charity? We are looking for a Visitor Services Assistant to join our team!

For more information on the role and how to apply please click the link in our top comment.

Job applications close Sunday 1st September.

Travel back to late Victorian Glasgow this October for a special evening at the Tenement House with a performance from Cara Hamilton in our gas-list parlour.

Come along for an exclusive after-hours tour of Glasgow's most loved Tenement and discover the Victorian's fascination with occultism, Spiritualism, and the afterlife.

Tickets must be booked in advance. Available now on Eventbrite.

Spirits of the Tenements Go back to late Victorian Glasgow for a special evening at the Tenement House with a performance from "Cara Hamilton" in the gas-lit parlour

Are you passionate about Glasgow's past? Do you have a particular interest in social, gender or housing history? Do you want an opportunity to share the story of Glasgow with people from across the world? We are looking for you! 👀👋

The Tenement House are now recruiting volunteer guides!

For more information on volunteering with the National Trust for Scotland and how to apply please follow the link in our top comment, or email us at [email protected]

This photograph was taken in the 1970s by Anna Davidson who cared for Agnes’ tenement flat between 1975 and 1982.

Agnes Toward would have looked out onto her neighbours’ houses rather than the open view we have today.

The demolition of the tenements at Charing Cross was part of a plan written in the 1950s called the Bruce Report. This report sought to modernise the city and laid out plans for the motorway now visible from the window today.

Throughout her life, Agnes Toward enjoyed collecting postcards, some from her friends and some from places she may have visited herself.

Some of the postcards in our archive feature some very familiar places now protected by the National Trust for Scotland 🧡

The postcards feature The Robert Burns Monument, Culzean Castle, and J. M Barrie's Birthplace!

National Trust for Scotland

One of our favourite parts of working at Tenement House is seeing all your lovely letters to Agnes! We are sure she would enjoy taking the time to read all your lovely reviews, and about your experiences of visiting and living in Glasgow 🧡

Our exhibition The Past In The Post features some of the letters kept by Agnes Toward, dating from 1883 until 1953. As a typist, Agnes had a tendency to carbon copy some of the letters she sent, which gives us a fascinating insight into some of her own thoughts and experiences!

Did you know Young Scot card holders can visit National Trust for Scotland properties for £1?

Discover 100 National Trust for Scotland properties this summer by simply showing your Young Scot card at the admissions desk.

For more information follow the link in our top comment!

Young Scot offer – terms & conditions Castles and battlefields, gardens and glens, islands and wildlife … enjoyed and protected.

The Tenement House‘s survival and collection are largely thanks to the lifestyle of Agnes Toward and the vision of Miss Anna Davidson.

Agnes had included a set of chairs in her will, which she left to her church elder, Mr. Sam Davidson. Mr. Davidson, accompanied by his niece, Anna, visited the house to collect the chairs. Little did Anna know that this casual visit to assist her uncle would profoundly impact her life.
When Anna Davidson left Glasgow in 1982, she decided to sell the house to the National Trust for Scotland, ensuring its preservation as a vital part of the nation‘s heritage. Thanks to Anna‘s efforts, today, thousands of visitors from around the world come to Agnes‘ house to experience its history.In 2022 we were lucky enough to interview Anna Davidson about her time living at the Tenement House. Click the link below to watch it!

To read more about Anna Davidson and the women of the Tenement House, click the link in our top comment 💜

A conversation with Anna Davidson

Looking for some inspo for days out this summer? 🌞

Make the most of unlimited free entry to over 100 amazing places across Scotland with National Trust for Scotland membership!

Explore our great outdoors and iconic landscapes, delve into Scotland’s rich cultural history, and enjoy days out that are perfect for stretching legs and expanding minds.

Discover more about membership by clicking the link, or ask one of our team for more details.

Tenement House is open daily, 10-5

Join us today Castles and battlefields, gardens and glens, islands and wildlife … enjoyed and protected.

Did you know the Tenement House welcomes around 26,000 visitors a year? 🤔 That's a lot of people walking through oor parlour!

Our collections team have been working to repair our parlour rug which has become worn due to footfall, making sure it can welcome another 26,000 pairs of feet!

Join us today for some more West Fest fun! All admission tickets are ✨HALF PRICE✨

Come and chat to us about the West End through the eyes of Miss Agnes Toward and get a unique opportunity to see some objects from our archive.

Open until 5pm*

Last entry 4:30

It’s West Fest weekend here at Tenement House!

Join us this weekend to learn more about Glasgow’s West End through the eyes of Agnes Toward!

Admission is ✨HALF PRICE✨ all weekend!

Open 10-5 with last admission 4:30 ❤️

It’s West Fest weekend here at Tenement House!

Join us this weekend to learn more about Glasgow’s West End through the eyes of Agnes Toward!

Admission is ✨HALF PRICE✨ all weekend!

Open 10-5 with last admission 4:30 ❤️