School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan

Two University of Glasgow postgraduate students are helping to transform understanding of Scotland’s textile heritage through their research on a major new tartan acquisition by National Museums Scotland.

As part of a specialist placement linked to their master’s studies at UofG, Lilly Prestemon and Layla Spurlock have been working hands-on with the newly acquired J&D Paton tartan archive.

The archive is a collection of almost 800 historic tartan samples has been donated to National Museums Scotland. The textiles were produced by J&D Paton, one of the largest tartan manufacturers of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and have been gifted to the nation by Stuart Paton, the great great grandson of the firm’s founder.

The samples record the firm’s production from its foundation in the 1820s to its closure in the 1960s, including rare examples of tartans woven for women's fashion, textiles woven for Queen Victoria and the Royal Family during the Highland revival, military fabrics supplied to the Scottish regiments and previously unrecorded clan tartans.

The firm reached the height of its popularity in the late 19^th century with prolific production continuing through both world wars. At its peak, J&D Paton employed around 500 people across four factory sites near Tillicoultry, in Stirlingshire. Family run for five generations, the company produced internationally-renowned tweeds and tartans, winning awards for fine fashion textiles sometimes woven through with silk. 

To date, the students have helped catalogue more than 150 individual samples, laying vital groundwork for future research and public access. Meticulously cared for by the Paton family for over 200 years, the collection will now be catalogued and made available for research at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh. 

The National Museums Scotland say the extensive J&D Paton collection has the scope to rewrite our understanding of tartan.

Each sample in the archive is unique, serving as a working record for the identification of clans, patterns and colours essential to the weaving process.  This rich library provides a rare detailed picture of the history of mass manufacturing at a time when tartans were expanding into new fashions and global marketplaces.

Dr Mhairi Maxwell, Curator of Modern & Contemporary History at National Museums Scotland said: “Tartan is one of the most recognisable symbols of Scotland and the exceptional J&D Paton collection is of immense importance to ongoing research into the history of the iconic textile. We have only just begun to uncover of the stories woven through this remarkable archive and I’ve no doubt there are many discoveries waiting to be made, all thanks the generosity of Stuart Paton and his family.”

Stuart Paton, former Director of J&D Paton, said: “I am delighted to find a long-term home for the collection with National Museums Scotland. The donation is made in memory of my godfather Captain Paton a long-time chairman of the company, in the hopes it will become a valuable asset for those researching and learning about Scotland’s textile heritage for generations to come.”

The students’ placement forms part of a wider partnership between the University of Glasgow and National Museums Scotland, offering postgraduate students the opportunity to gain practical experience working with nationally significant collections while contributing directly to frontline research.

Lilly Prestemon said her time working on the National Museums Scotland’s J&D Paton and Company collection was “invaluable experience”, adding: “It was truly incredible to get to see firsthand the process of accessioning a new collection. It was especially impactful to work on a collection with as much significance as the J&D Paton and Company collection has on the history of tartan, and consequently Scotland's national history. As an international student it was especially influential to me that I was able to work with a collection so important to the national history of Scotland. It almost felt like giving back to the people who have so graciously opened their arms and allowed me to study in this amazing country.”

Layla Spurlock added: “It was a pleasure to spend the past semester working at National Museums Scotland on the J&D Paton Tartan collection. This collection is a vital resource to the country and the larger world. The work conducted can be used by researchers to rewrite our understanding of tartan history.”

And Dr Amy Johnstone, MSc Museum Studies Programme Convenor at the College of Arts & Humanities’ School of Humanities said: “The Museum Studies programme at the University of Glasgow is designed with professional development at its core, enabling students to recognise, develop, and articulate their skills alongside their academic knowledge.

“Through a range of integrated learning experiences including critical reflection, collaborative projects, and engagement with real-world museum contexts, students build skills and knowledge to contribute meaningfully to the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector.”

National Museums Scotland holds one of the largest and most diverse tartan collections in the world spanning over three centuries of production history. Discover more at nms.ac.uk/discover-catalogue/tartan. 

 

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First published: 19 May 2026