A remarkable fire surround from the Manx Museum’s collections will feature in a major new exhibition at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house designed by renowned architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott.
The striking fire surround, designed by pioneering Arts & Crafts architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865–1945), is traveling to the Lake District on loan as part of M H Baillie Scott: Architect & Designer, opening at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house on 18 September 2026.
Baillie Scott lived and worked on the Isle of Man from 1889 to 1901, a formative period in his career. The fire surround, originally from Glen Falcon House in Douglas, is an outstanding example of his early work. Made from beaten copper and wrought iron, the fire basket incorporates the date ‘1900’ and has two small baskets at either side, probably designed to hold candles.
Glen Falcon House was demolished in the late 1940s to allow Broadway to be widened, but its fireplace survived and became part of the Manx Museum collection.
Now, more than 75 years later, it will return to the architectural world of Baillie Scott. Blackwell was designed by the architect for the Holt family of Manchester and completed in 1901. It is considered his finest and most complete surviving work.
The exhibition brings together important works from the Lakeland Arts collection with loans from museums and private collections across Britain. The Manx Museum fire surround is one of its featured highlights, allowing visitors to explore the development of Baillie Scott’s ideas from his early work on the Isle of Man to his later internationally influential career.
Katie King, Manx National Heritage Curator: Art & Social History, said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase an important part of the Isle of Man’s heritage to a wider audience. Our collections are held in trust for the people of the Isle of Man and contain objects of both national and international significance.
“To have this piece selected for exhibition at Blackwell is a testament to the quality of the collections in our care. It also highlights the importance of investing in their preservation, research and interpretation, ensuring these objects continue to tell stories that resonate far beyond the Island.”
The exhibition will run at Blackwell from 18 September 2026 to 20 March 2027, marking the 125th anniversary of the completion of the house.
The loan offers visitors a rare opportunity to see one of Baillie Scott’s most significant surviving Manx works displayed within the setting of one of his finest architectural achievements, while showcasing the rich collections cared for by Manx National Heritage.
Images:
Baillie Scott designed fire basket and surround (MNH+ 1970-0004)