South Ayrshire Council - Ayr History - Museums, Libraries & Archives

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Museums and Galleries

This exhibition is possible because of the care taken to preserve the collections of the Burgh of Ayr over the last 800 years. South Ayrshire Council’s Museum and Library services and Ayrshire Archives now undertake the professional stewardship of these collections. These services have always been important to town life.
Museums The Minutes of the Carnegie Library record donations and the intention to set up a permanent museum in the Carnegie, however, the museum work was interrupted from 1895 onwards by staging of major Fine Art Exhibitions. This led to excellent support for the artist community (and the associated societies) but compromised the development of the museum. Following local government reorganisation in 1975 the museum objects (and the by then substantial fine art collection of the Carnegie and the previous burghs) were transferred to Rozelle House, which has been the base for the museum service and exhibitions ever since. Collectors and Benefactors The collections and their buildings grew from major donations by some of Ayr’s most prominent citizens. Their memories are now preserved through these public gifts and have become well known names locally such as D.E. Edward, A.S. Alexander and the Hamilton family.	Archives For most of its 800-year history, the records of the town council were retained and looked after by the Burgh’s Town Clerk. The surviving records now have an important historical value in providing a framework for our understanding of the past. This was recognised in 1975, following the re-organisation of Scottish local government, when the majority of historical records were transferred to the Scottish Record Office for safekeeping. In 1996, the three local authorities in Ayrshire agreed to jointly fund a professional archives service, known as Ayrshire Archives. The records of the Burgh were transferred to the direct custody of Ayrshire Archives in 2000 and are currently located at the Ayrshire Archives Centre where they are preserved and accessed in accordance with professional standards and recommendations.	Libraries Ayr Library Society was founded in 1762 as a select subscription library probably tied to Ayr Academy. This library and others developed until the offer of £10,000 by Andrew Carnegie to build a public library if the Burgh would adopt the ‘Free Libraries Act’. The Act was adopted and Ayr’s Carnegie Library opened to the public on September 2nd 1893. It originally housed a library, reading room, art gallery and museum. The library now has a reference library, lending library, children’s library, local history library (with family history research facilities) and a Cyber Centre to allow the general public free access to the internet. There are also three branch libraries in Ayr to cater for local needs. Independent Museums Ayr has provided cultural and heritage venues for its citizens and visitors for many years. A museum existed at 238 High Street in Ayr, known as the Tam O’ Shanter Museum, from the early 19th Century until the 1980s. This was part of the Land O’ Burns trail to Burns Cottage. From 1926 – 1933 A.S. Alexander displayed his natural sciences collection in Belleisle House. The Maclaurin Galleries opened on 26th June 1976 following a bequest by Mrs Mary Ellen Maclaurin.

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