Burns bust by Montrose artist put exhibited in town for the first time

The bust, which was unveiled at an event on Saturday, is being exhibited in Montrose Museum, on loan from Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens.

Lamb set up a studio in Montrose in 1924, and gradually fell under the influence of Hugh MacDiarmid and the Scottish Renaissance literary movement, which was centred in the town.

This confirmed his resolve to make his work distinctly Scottish, by modelling the ordinary men and women working in the community around him.

Burns has a strong family connection to Montrose and the surrounding area. William Burnes, his father, originally came from a farm near Glenbervie.

The family was well-known in Montrose and included lawyers, teachers, and a provost, and their house can still be seen in Bow Butts.

The poet corresponded regularly with his cousin James Burnes until his untimely death in 1796.

In 1787, Burns embarked on four tours of Scotland. His final tour, the ‘Highland Journey’, started in August 1787, lasting 22 days and covering 600 miles.

On September 12, 1787, Burns and his friend William Nicol crossed the North Esk and arrived in the “finely situated handsome town” of Montrose, where they visited James Burnes and supped in The Turk’s Head Inn, in what is now George Street.

The sculpture was presented by the Sunderland Burns club to Sunderland Museum on the April 7, 1936, with Lamb in attendance

He created the original model in his studio but had the bust cast in Sunderland, and area which also has longstanding connections to Burns; Robert’s nephew, Lieutenant Colonel James Glencairn Burns, married Sarah Robinson, daughter of James Robinson, Postmaster at Sunderland.

The first conference of the Robert Burns Federation to be held outside Scotland also took place in Sunderland in 1907.

Emma Gilliland, ANGUSalive’s museums & galleries collections lead, said: “We have enjoyed working with Montrose Burns Club to bring this bust home to Montrose and hope visitors enjoy this beautiful sculpture which is a wonderful marriage of Scottish artistic and literary genius through the ages.”

Montrose Burns Club is leading on discussions regarding the potential manufacture of a replica of the Burns bust, which, along with a replica of the Turk’s Head plaque, would potentially be sited in George Street, close to the inn’s original location.

Kirsten Tomlinson, Montrose Burns Club president, said: “This is a prestigious initiative, with many local heritage connections celebrating the links between Robert Burns in Montrose and Angus, and it adds immense value to the civic pride of Montrose and its citizens, for this and future generations.”

The bust can be viewed at the museum from Wednesday to Monday, 10.30am – 4pm. Details about the William Lamb Memorial Studio can be found at https://www.friendswilliamlambstudio.uk/