Behind-the-scenes at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre

These behind-the-scenes pictures show a huge collection of 1.4 million artefacts which are stored at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.

Just 2% of Glasgow’s museum’s collections are on display at any one time with most of the remaining objects stored at the resource centre.

The collection of fine art, fossils, animals and armour are housed in 17 purpose-built and environmentally controlled pods.

Each pod has its own climate control with the ideal conditions around 50 per cent relative humidity and temperatures of 18°C.

Some 400,000 species are kept in the natural history collection including a walruses and thousands of birds, such as owls, eagles and albatross.

Sam, a well-known tiger at Calderpark Zoo in Glasgow in the 1950s, sits on one of the shelves, and a huge bison head is part of the mounted species collection.

A lynx, large African antelopes, a wildebeest and a zebra can also been seen on the centre shelves. 

Set over 15,000sqm2, the centre also houses an archive and library with 42,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts belonging to Robert Lyons Scott from the 14th to 20th century.

Behind-the-scenes tours are held at the resource centre every Wednesday, with family sessions during the holidays and a programme of schools workshops.

Booking is essential, please email GMRCbookings@glasgowlife.org.uk or phone 0141 276 9300 to book your place.

Read more on Scottish Field’s News pages. 

Plus, don’t miss the July issue of Scottish Field magazine.