Charles Rennie who?

One of the things that makes me sad is a tendency, in my opinion at least, that the Scots have for knocking anything Scottish and successful.

For anyone that says something positive about a famous historic Scot, you can be sure there will be someone writing away furiously somewhere else, mocking them and claiming that they were a sham, bought their fame, or were just plain rubbish, and had never done anything to justify the acclaim or appreciation they receive in later years.

One such person is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who has suffered the fate of becoming somewhat famous and appreciated more in death than life, and has attracted considerable criticism in latter years from those who think that acclaim is unjustified, and he did nothing of note. It almost seems to be fashionable for some to knock Mackintosh, and scorn anyone who speaks up for him (and his wife).

All I can say is that it’s still a free world (somewhere) and everyone’s welcome to their own opinion, so long as they don’t overdo it and try and rewrite history.

One thing Mackintosh himself can’t be blamed for is the later popularity of his work, or the prices rare examples can fetch, something that has spawned a whole new business that has come to be known as mockintosh. This seems to range all the way from stuff that is little short of forgery (depending on how it si sold) thoroughly horrendously expensive reproduction pieces (which seem to have one or two noughts added on to the end of their price just because they are styled after Mackintosh pieces), and then everything else that his style has inspired, and doesn’t cost much – some good, some bad.

As it is, Mackintosh’s architecture has gone largely unnoticed, and most of his work received little respect, and has been demolished and neglected over the years. However, there are still gems to be found surviving, and numerous houses that contain examples of his work, such as Craigie Hall, Rowan Street, Glasgow. Apart from the Open Doors visits which I’ve been able to enjoy to this 1872 building, I’ve been lucky enough to visit on business, as it happens to be a small business centre that is home to a firm of consultants I’ve used. Although I never met the owner, I was given a tour and shown the details of Mackintosh carvings most people never see/notice, and learned some of the stories behind some of the features used to restore the interior, which is not original in some places, but the owner has been able to scour suitable pieces not only from around the correct period, but also in the correct style to suit the existing surroundings.

At the other end of the “money no object” restoration, there are lesser efforts, and when I turned the corner and came across the following sight the other day, this was brought home, and I was tempted to wonder just what the “RENNIE MACINTOSH DOORS & MIRRORS” looked like, if they were made of wood, or MDF, and were styled after anything Charles Rennie Mackintosh ever produced.

MACINTOSH DOORS & WINDOWS - do they compare with Mackintosh?