As part of Glasgow 850, Dr Ailsa Boyd and Arianna Magyaricsová explore the history of Glasgow’s Cooper & Co., and the impact their founders have had on The Hunterian’s collection.

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‘Robert Duncan (1841-1928): The Grocer’s Architect’ – Dr Ailsa Boyd

The building in the image below is a landmark of Glasgow’s West End. Just around the corner from The Hunterian, it is one of the tall towers at Kelvinbridge. It has been a pub and restaurant since the 1980s, but was originally the flagship store of grocers Cooper & Co.

On 25 April, I will be giving a Friday Focus talk as part of the Glasgow 850 celebrations of our city’s heritage, ‘Robert Duncan (1841-1928): The Grocer’s Architect’. I will tell the story of this building, all about its design, the architect and the company it was built for in 1886.

By the time this shop was opened, the ‘tea, coffee and provision merchants’ Cooper & Co. had three shops in Glasgow and 46 other branches all over the country.

Their advertising slogan was ‘the most progressive and successful departmental stores in the country’. Founded by Thomas George Bishop (1846-1922) in 1871, he took the name Cooper’s from his mother-in-law who lent him the capital to start the business.

Soon afterwards, his brother-in-law, John Henderson (b.1834), joined him in managing what was an innovative and hugely successful business.

By buying direct from the suppliers in Europe, and making everything from sausages to crystallized fruits in their own factories, they passed savings on to their customers.

But Bishop also had a flair for advertising, which included shop floors that tempted customers with glorious colour and aroma, and treated them with personalised service – including phone orders and deliveries.

You can imagine the delight of shopping in Cooper’s in 1890 from this photograph, with the wares set out under ornate plaster columns, lit by the huge plate glass windows, electric light reflecting off mirrors and shiny mahogany.

The building was designed by Glasgow architect Robert Duncan (1841-1928), who I first discovered as he designed my own house in the Southside.

Of his many tenements, villas, churches, warehouses and hospitals across Scotland, seven are now listed (including this one), and several are landmarks in the city, but he is very little known.

Duncan had a close and mutually beneficial relationship with Bishop and Henderson throughout the 1880s, building and altering their commercial premises in Hamilton and Glasgow, and also designing family homes for them in Helensburgh. But this corner site in the West End is particularly impressive.

It is a French Renaissance chateau with a Glasgow accent, the roof has fish-scale slates, and a huge turret topped with both clocks and a Greek temple – originally a weathervane made it even taller.

The blonde sandstone ashlar, arched windows and decorative ironwork give way to huge pink granite Corinthian columns at ground level.

Inside decoration includes Minton tiles, marble panels, deeply moulded plasterwork and ornately carved oak stairs. The original plans for the building show the innovative modern design across four floors, including the houseware department and storage, and a stable at the back for deliveries.

In 1963, Coopers were bought over by Fine Fare supermarkets, ending ninety years of personal service in grocery shopping.

However, the smell of coffee and broken biscuits, happy times in their tea rooms and Santa’s grotto, are the intangible heritage held by such buildings. I would be very interested to hear from anyone with memories or stories of Cooper & Co. throughout the years.

The Bishop and Henderson families made fortunes from being tea merchants, but they didn’t spend it all on architecture. My colleague Arianna Magyaricsová’s PhD is about their collections legacy in the safe keeping of The Hunterian.

Preserving the Past and Inspiring the Future: The Bishops and Their Hunterian Legacy – Arianna Magyaricsová

The Bishop family’s contributions to The Hunterian’s collection highlight the crucial role of private collectors in shaping public institutions.

From Thomas George Bishop’s meticulous beetle collection, to Andrew Henderson Bishop’s vast assemblage of prehistoric artefacts, their donations reflect a deep commitment to knowledge, science, and Scottish archaeology.

But how did these remarkable collections find their way to The Hunterian?

Thomas George Bishop: The Businessman Turned Beetle Enthusiast

Thomas George Bishop (1846–1922) was an ardent entomologist whose fascination with beetles began in childhood. By fourteen, he was already documenting observations on birds and insects, signalling his lifelong dedication to natural history.

He expanded his collection over the years, discovering several rare species, even having some named in his honour.

Despite business obligations with Cooper & Co. limiting his fieldwork after 1870, he remained actively engaged in entomology, amassing one of the most extensive private holdings of Coleoptera.

Though he seldom published, his expertise and generosity in sharing specimens earned him widespread respect in scientific circles.

Upon T.G. Bishop’s death in 1922, institutions vied for his collection, with both the British Museum and Oxford University Museum expressing interest.

However, his son, Andrew Henderson Bishop, and grandson, also Thomas George, ultimately chose to donate it to the University of Glasgow’s Zoology Department through Professor Graham Kerr.

The formal offer, made on 29 September 1923, ensured the collection would be securely housed and accessible to entomologists beyond the university.

Recognised for its sheer scale and meticulous organisation, the collection was widely regarded by contemporary sources as one of the most significant donations the University had received in years.

Andrew Henderson Bishop: A Lifelong Commitment to Archaeology

Unlike his father, Andrew Henderson Bishop (1874–1957) was deeply invested in archaeology. His collection, consisting of prehistoric artefacts from across Scotland and beyond, became one of the most significant private assemblages of its kind.

In 1914, he made his first major donation to The Hunterian, contributing over 2,000 objects. His intent was to establish a collection that would ‘be of most service in promoting the science of Archaeology, in encouraging the study of the subject, and in sustaining popular interest in studies of this kind’, forming the foundation of a representative Scottish archaeological collection in the West of Scotland.

A. H. Bishop’s most significant contribution came in 1951, though first proposed in 1939. Facing a move to Switzerland, he sought a permanent home for his expanded collection.

While World War II delayed the process, on 31 October 1951, his collection was officially granted as an absolute gift to The Hunterian.

This marked the culmination of years of negotiations and a steadfast commitment to preservation. The collection comprises over 20,000 artefacts from more than 300 object types and 120 raw materials, collected from 1,500 individual sites from 33 identified countries.

A Lasting Legacy

Today, the Bishop collections remain integral to The Hunterian, advancing entomological studies and offering a tangible link to Scotland’s prehistoric past.

Through their passion and generosity, the Bishops transformed private dedication into an enduring scholarly and cultural resource, exemplifying the profound impact of collectors on public institutions.

Glasgow 850 at The Hunterian

Glasgow 850 marks Glasgow’s 850th anniversary with a year-long programme of events that reflect on how the city has transformed.  

As part of the city-wide celebrations, The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow will host a series of exhibitions, displays and events across its venues that explore Glasgow’s rich heritage.  

Building Memories at Kelvin Hall from 29 March 2025 to 18 January 2026, will use related objects and artworks from The Hunterian collections to explore three Glasgow buildings that no longer exist, the 1888 International Exhibition building, the University of Glasgow’s Old College and 78 Southpark Avenue, where Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh lived from 1906 to 1914. 

Bird, Tree, Bell, Fish, Ring at the Hunterian Art Gallery from 20 June to 28 September 2025, is co-curated by University of Glasgow students and will combine a fascinating selection of items from The Hunterian collections which represent the symbols on the Glasgow coat of arms.  

Views of Glasgow at the Hunterian Art Gallery from 5 December 2025 until 26 April 2026, will feature stunning representations of the city by both native and adopted artists, including John Duncan Fergusson, Joan Eardley and John Knox, who have immortalised Glasgow’s evolving identity on canvas. 

Glasgow residents will also have the opportunity to visit the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian Art Gallery for free every Sunday between 10.00am and 12 noon, from February until December 2025 (terms and conditions apply).  

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There are more brilliant blogs stretching right across our collection for you to explore – covering coins, medals and much more!