Letter and 'At Home' invitation from Patrick Geddes to Mr and Mrs C H Grinling

1 letter; 1 invitation card

Patrick Geddes was a biologist, sociologist and town planner with a strong interest in education, the arts, history and many other subjects. In 1889 he became Professor of Botany at Dundee University College, where he was required to attend for only 3 months of the year. This gave him the time to pursue many other interests, including a commission in 1903 (in competition with the architect T H Mawson) from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust to prepare a town plan for Dunfermline, the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy philanthropist. Carnegie stipulated a plan that would bring sweetness and light into the lives of the working people of the burgh. The Trustees were to be pioneers and seek to achieve something new and better than existing town plans. Geddes's report was ready in 1904, and was published as 'City development: a study of parks, gardens and culture'. Unfortunately, the Trustees rejected the reports of both Geddes and Mawson as too ambitious and expensive. Geddes's friend, C H Grinling was an early Fabian socialist activist and editor and publisher of the 'Woolwich Pioneer' newspaper

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Acc 897

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Archivist's note: Description prepared by Margaret Harrison, Web version by Graham S. Holton, Jordanhill LibraryRules or Conventions: Description based on Scottish Archive Network guidelines, based on ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, International Council on Archives (2nd edition, 2000). and Rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names, National Council on Archives (1997)Date of descriptions: January 2009

GB 249 T-GED Papers of Sir Patrick Geddes