SMM+S

Adam Brown · Last edited by Adam Brown on Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:01 am; edited 1 time in total

'The Pelican'
Location: Little Sisters of the Poor, Gilmore Place
OS Ref:NT 248 727
Sculptor: Alexander Carrick

Jim McGinlay mentioned that he knew of a Carrick sculpture at the Little Sisters of the Poor at Gilmore Place. I didn't think I had the Carrick Pelican, I thought this was just some Latin lettering but looking closely again I think this is actually it!

Adam
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ADP · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:04 am Post subject:

From some Google searching, the inscribed panel above the doorway at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Gilmore Place is probably JM, the initials of the Glasgow architect James M Monro (or Munro, depending which source you read).

http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200122

ADP

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:38 pm Post subject:

ADP

I thought it might have been 'IM' and was religeous, but 'JM' makes more sense.

I've looked at this a carving a couple of times and stood right under it and didn't see anything.

However looking at the photograph of the doorway again last night I thought the top of the 'J' looked like a head and the bottom a long beak with the hook at the bottom, the 'M' makes up the wings. It's a stylized pelican and maybe it's just me wanting to see it but if you can imagine it as a pelican in piety with the beak piercing its breast it makes more sense (to me anyway!)

Here's a more conventional carving of a pelican in piety...

http://wikibrowser.net/dt/sl/Ljubezen

Adam
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Scottish War Graves Project

jimmcginlay · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject:

Hello Adam,

Thanks for the great photo...again! Much appreciated!

Looking at the lettering and overall style I am certain this is Carrick's work, I like the way he's treated the double O on the word POOR. Also I am sure you are right and this is The Pelican. Its exactly the kind of thing Carrick would do, shape and form was crucial to him and he liked to use it to express ideas in all his works, although this is really interesting as its one of the most stylised works of his I've seen, even if it is a small piece.

I came across this in Carrick's business papers which include his invoice for this work which he calls 'The Pelican', which has proved very useful because the way he has worked the pelican symbol into the lettering is so subtle that we would never have seen it otherwise! I wonder if the nuns knew about it?

Thanks again.
Jim

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:19 pm Post subject:

Jim

When I saw the way the 'O's linked in 'Poor' the other night I thought I was on the right track and I must have looked at the JM many times before I saw the bird. It was the eyes on the head I noticed first and then it clicked.

It's so subtle I doubt few passing along this road have seen anything other than two letters.

Cheers

Adam
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Scottish War Memorials Project
Scottish War Graves Project

ADP · Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:28 pm Post subject:

Historic Scotland share my lack of sight of the pelican (I still don't see it).

http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=44937

ADP

Adam Brown · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject:

ADP

If you look at the first picture rather than the close up it's clearer to me. That's the angle Carrick expected people to look at it as well.

Unless of course there is another Pelican on this building and he is just repeating the shape on the doorway. I remember Jim mentioning that at Oban the war memorial Carrick did took the shape of a nearby boulder. Could he be doing the same here and taking a conventional sculpture of a pelican inside the building as a basis for some initials on the front?

It's a shame the invoice doesn't give more clues.

Adam
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Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:15 pm Post subject:

Here are some more photographs of the building. From the looks of it a 20th century wall and doorway have been added to the front of a 19th Century building.

Adam
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Scottish War Graves Project