Mary L. Fairgrieve – a “Glasgow Girl” artist

Mary Fairgrieve was born in Glasgow in 1875 to Alexander and Margaret James.  She married John Dunn Fairgrieve, a Greenock man, in Middlesbrough in 1897.  Tragically her husband died while they were on their honeymoon at Port Ellen, Argyllshire and is buried there.  She came with her parents to Greenock shortly after this and the family lived at 11 Sandringham Terrace. Her parents encouraged her to enroll at the Glasgow School of Art which she attended  as a day student from 1908 to 1911 and from 1911 to 1912 as an evening student.

Students in the drawing class – including Ann Macbeth and Annie French
circa 1910-12

In McLean Museum collection

Design for a ceramic item with the black cat logo in bottom corner

She was skilled in many crafts including needlework and ceramic painting.  There are some examples of her work in the McLean Museum, Greenock and her work also featured in the Kirkcudbright Glasgow Girls Exhibition in 2010.  Latterly she live at The Cottage, Ashgrove Terrace, Gourock.   She died in 1967 at the age of 93. 

 

 

Mary Fairgrieve cottage bowl

(“cottage” photographs copyright Heather Jack)