Attendance at a private viewing of the McVean Collection
2026/3/10
On Tuesday 10th March, Consul General Katsutoshi Takeda attended a private viewing of the McVean Collection at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.
The McVean Collection includes artworks, crafts, and other items brought from Japan by Scottish civil engineer Colin Alexander McVean that were loaned to Glasgow City Industrial Museum for an exhibition in 1877 and have been kept at Glasgow Museums ever since.
Colin Alexander McVean was one of three civil engineers who travelled to Japan from Scotland to build lighthouses in 1868, and stayed there for 8 years with his family. In particular, he was responsible for creating the first maps of Tokyo using Western style surveying, surveying for reconstruction after the Great Ginza fire, and the first-ever survey of the Imperial Palace as well. He was also appointed as Chief Surveyor to the Government of Japan. In addition, Colin and his wife Mary had close ties with prominent members of the Japanese Government, including Hirobumi Ito, Yozou Yamao, Tsunetami Sano, and Tsugumichi Saigo (brother of Takamori Saigo).
On the day, the Consul General viewed the artwork and crafts of the exhibition guided by Dr Yupin Chung, Curator of East Asian Art, Glasgow Museums and Colin Houston, great grandson of Colin Alexander McVean. He was also able to view historical maps of the Kanto region and photographs from Colin Houston’s personal collection. The artwork and crafts from the Edo and Meiji period were in excellent condition, with the symbols confirming their loan for the 1877 exhibition visible to see. It was a valuable opportunity to learn about Scotland and Japan’s exchange from over 150 years ago.
The McVean Collection includes artworks, crafts, and other items brought from Japan by Scottish civil engineer Colin Alexander McVean that were loaned to Glasgow City Industrial Museum for an exhibition in 1877 and have been kept at Glasgow Museums ever since.
Colin Alexander McVean was one of three civil engineers who travelled to Japan from Scotland to build lighthouses in 1868, and stayed there for 8 years with his family. In particular, he was responsible for creating the first maps of Tokyo using Western style surveying, surveying for reconstruction after the Great Ginza fire, and the first-ever survey of the Imperial Palace as well. He was also appointed as Chief Surveyor to the Government of Japan. In addition, Colin and his wife Mary had close ties with prominent members of the Japanese Government, including Hirobumi Ito, Yozou Yamao, Tsunetami Sano, and Tsugumichi Saigo (brother of Takamori Saigo).
On the day, the Consul General viewed the artwork and crafts of the exhibition guided by Dr Yupin Chung, Curator of East Asian Art, Glasgow Museums and Colin Houston, great grandson of Colin Alexander McVean. He was also able to view historical maps of the Kanto region and photographs from Colin Houston’s personal collection. The artwork and crafts from the Edo and Meiji period were in excellent condition, with the symbols confirming their loan for the 1877 exhibition visible to see. It was a valuable opportunity to learn about Scotland and Japan’s exchange from over 150 years ago.