Our Collection

At The Alasdair Gray Archive we care for more than 8,500 items, with our collection being made up of two distinct parts.

The first comprises around 5,000 items rescued from Alasdair Gray’s home by our Custodian, Sorcha Dallas, following his death in late 2019. Together, these materials form the Alasdair Gray Estate Collection, which we have cared for ever since while making the case for its continued civic and national accessibility.

If you’ve visited us at The Whisky Bond, you’ll recognise many of the books, furniture, furnishings, ephemera, tools, equipment and archival materials from the Estate Collection. Curated by Sorcha, these objects create a partial recreation of Alasdair’s living and working environment within our main archive space, offering visitors a glimpse into the world in which he lived and created.

The second part of our holdings is The Alasdair Gray Archive Collection, made up of material donated to or acquired by the Archive. This collection continues to grow as we actively shape it to reflect Alasdair’s rich network of collaborators, friends and contemporaries. A key priority is championing marginalised voices and bringing greater visibility to people whose contributions might otherwise be overlooked—a commitment that reflects the socially engaged values at the heart of Alasdair’s own creative practice.

Earlier this year, we were delighted to officially open The Agnes Owens Archive, our first satellite archive, made possible through a significant donation from Agnes’ son, John Crosbie.

Alongside caring for both collections, we’ve prioritised generating new research and knowledge around them. This work is brought together through our innovative Creative Ecosystem model, which connects the collections with creative commissions, public engagement and education, encouraging new ways of interpreting and responding to the archive.

Infographics by Eva Casey