John Muir's Birthplace

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Content updated Tue, 10 Aug 1999 01:19:41 GMT

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Launch News by Graham White

The Muir exhibition was launched here in Edinburgh last Friday (30th July 1999) by the new Scottish Minister for the Environment, Sarah Boyack - in front of 150 VIP guests and friends. Broadcaster, outdoorsman and TV personality, Jimmie MacGregor, had the audience laughing within seconds and kept them that way for 15 minutes, while also conveying the historic nature of the event. American Consul in Edinburgh Cathy Hurst stressed the international dimension of the occasion and Elizabeth Hanna, great great grandaughter of John Muir stressed the importance of love of family to John Muir - a tradition which continues in her family - now expanded to an entire clan of great-great grandchildren.

Phyllis Shaw with John Muir Photo: Graham White

A formal Press Launch was held on the morning of Friday 30th which was attended by all the national and local newspapers as well as BBC Radio Scotland, BBC World Service, Scottish ITV (Seven Days) and coverage in the press, radio and TV was exceptionally good. Head Ranger Phyllis Shaw from the John Muir National Historic Site was photographed with the replica John Muir created for the exhibition, as was Liz Hanna - for The Scotsman - our national quality newspaper.

On Wednesday August 4th the John Muir Trust held a special reception for invited guests and VIPs - some of whom had travelled over 200 miles to be there for the evening. Director of the Trust Nigel Hawkins read out a special message from HRH The Prince of Wales and Harold Wood of the Sierra Club was a principal speaker who reminded us all of Muir's historic role in founding the Club and of the importance of honouring Muir's legacy by continuing as activists in defence of the wild places.

The exhibition is already drawing sizeable audiences and in particular large numbers of Americans are tkaing the opportunity to renew acquaintance with JM. The Edinburgh Festival begins next week and the population of Edinburgh will swell by 250,000 people over the month - so we all hope that this will be a significant exhibition.

The exhibition shows until October 2nd - after which it is available for touring anywhere in the world until early April 2000, when it will be going back to East Lothian for the summer season. It has already been suggested that it could go to the Oakland Museum, or some other prestigious venue in the Bay Area of San Francisco - since the Keith paintings and the artifacts from John Muir National Historic Site will all be returning to California by mid-October. Consequently, transporting the twenty or so major panels by air would be a comparatively simple operation.

It has also been suggested that the exhibit could be expanded considerably to focus on the Sierra Club and the wider millennial challenges/ threats for conservation in the USA as we enter the new century. If you can help with this please contact Harold Wood at the John Muir Exhibit website or David Blackburn and Phyllis Shaw at the National Historic Site. The contact here in Edinburgh is Bob MacLean, Marketing Manager at the Edinburgh City Art Centre (0131 529 7902) who can send out copies of the posters for the exhibition.

Passenger Pigeon Photo: Graham White

American Bison Skull Photo: Graham White

I append a few JPEG files of the exhibition, which include an image of The Passenger Pigeon loaned by our National Museum, as well as the American Bison skull from the same source - used to illustrate the 'environmental crisis' in Muir's own time that lies at the hub of the exhibition.

Best wishes,

Graham White