Macdonald, James Ramsay - Baillie George Kerr of Glasgow An archive of material relating to James Ramsay Macdonald and other members of the ILP, from the estate of Baillie George Kerr of Glasgow, including three autograph letters signed, the first dated 29 July 1922, "My dear Georgie. Before I settled down and Loch Katrine drifts behind, I must tell you how much I enjoyed the holiday you gave me and thank you and the "Big 'Un", as you most disrespectfully call her…" address stamps Lossiemouth, approx 11.5 by 18cm high; the second dated 2nd May 1923, "I am very sorry to hear of your troublesome insides, my tail went years ago and I have never missed it." Address stamped House of Commons, approx 18.5 by 24cm; the third dated 21 August 1925 "I was so glad to have time with you for a good talk. The outlook does not improve very much. I have rarely read a more blatantly mischievous speech than one delivered last week by one of you MP's whom we referred occasionally to" addressed Lossiemouth on Foreign Office paper, approx 12.5 by 18.5cm; Ibid. Three typed signed letters, including one dated 15th September 1937, "My Dear Geordie… I am mightily amused to see how the T.U.C. have at last discovered how right we were in our general outlook and the way the situation in 1931 was handled. In fact, the present position is both amusing and significant beyond words" Lossiemouth headed paper, 17.5 by 26.5cm; Ibid. Several items relating to Ramsay Macdonald's funeral at Westminster Abbey and Golders Green Crematorium in November 1937, including entry tickets, order of service and invitations; Ibid. A collection of newspaper photographs relating to Ramsay Macdonald, c.1930's, mainly from the Daily Record, Glasgow, including images of Joan Macdonald's wedding; Ibid. A collection of approx 13 photographs of a Macdonald family holiday to Loch Katrine, 1921, including view of the family aboard the Walter Scott steamer, another group with Macdonald playing bagpipes; Stewart, Alexander "Sacha" Three portrait photographs of Ramsay Macdonald and his family, c.1920's, 25 by 32.5cm, including a single portrait of Ramsay Macdonald, one of Ishbel Macdonald and a group shot of Macdonald and three of his children including Ishbel and Malcolm Macdonald; Glasier J. Bruce Four autograph letters signed from J. Bruce Glasier [one of the four main leaders of the ILP] all dated 1900; Glasier, Katherine Bruce Three autograph letters signed from Katherine Bruce Glaiser [a British socialist journalist, one of the first fifteen members of the ILP's national administrative council, 1893] dated 1900-1902; Beard, J. & Smith, Ethel An unsigned typed letter from J. Beard [President of the Transport & General Worker's Union] to Ethel Smith, undated, addressed Wyndale Avenue, London, 27 pages, outlining the 1931 collapse of the current Labour government and the formation of the "National Government"; The Clarion A collection of 8 group photographs showing the Clarion Fellowship and other Scottish socialists, c. 1900's, various sizes, including an image of the Clarion Van; Ibid. A collection of 12 picture postcards, c. 1900, including the Clarion Van, students at Ruskin College, early socialist meetings, etc; Scottish Politics - Black, W. Milne A collection of 14 original caricature pen and ink [two with watercolour] drawings of politicians and Glasgow office bearers, c. 1916-18, various sizes, including Baillie George Kerr, Baillie Hammy Broon, Baillie John Stewart, Sir Robert Graham, John Wheatley [Minister for Health in Macdonald's Labour Government in 1924]; Scottish Football Complimentary season ticket for The Clyde Football Club, 1923-24, in the name of Baillie George Kerr, original red cloth; Rangers Football Club A compliments card inscribed to Baillie George Kerr, 1936, "3 good rangers to another good ranger and his wife. With sincere good wishes for another twenty five years" signed by James Bowie [Director], R.G. Campbell [Director, and William Struth [Manager], with several other pieces of ephemera relating to Rangers Football Club, c. 1930's; TGWU A collection of material relating to the TGWU, dating from 1916-1942, including various letters, pamphlets and other ephemera; the remaining material in the archive include Glasgow music hall memorabilia & ephemera from the 1938 Empire exhibition. Note: James Ramsay Macdonald (1866-1937) was Prime Minister twice, the first occasion in 1924 when he became Britain's first Labour Prime Minister. Born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Macdonald moved to Bristol as a teenager and then to London in 1886. A growing interest in left-wing politics led him to become a member of Keir Hardie's Independent Labour Party in 1894, standing in both 1895 and 1900 only to be defeated on both occasions. In 1900 Macdonald became Secretary of the Labour Representation Committee, a position that would allow him to negotiate with the Liberal Party giving Labour its first breakthrough into the House of Commons. By 1906, the LRC, now just the "Labour Party", absorbed the ILP and 28 of its members were elected as MP's, with Macdonald becoming MP for Leicester.
