Alexander McDonald, M'Donald or MacDonald (1794–1860) was a Scottish sculptor specialising in granite. He was also an expert on Egyptian granite sculpture. As a company, they were responsible for a huge number of major public monuments, graves and drinking fountains, all executed in polished granite, a technique perfected by the company. The firm of Alexander McDonald & Co lasted from 1820 until 1941. Their most noteworthy works include the fountains in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...

and the tomb of Albert and Queen Victoria.

Alexander McDonald Sr.

He was born in the parish of

Rannoch Rannoch ( gd, Raineach or , meaning 'bracken') is an area of the Scottish Highlands between the A9 road, to the east, and the A82, to the west. The area is crossed from south to north by the West Highland railway line. Features of the area inc ...

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

in 1794, the son of a

crofter A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer, especially in rural are ...

. He adapted the machines and equipment developed by Stewart McGlashan to enable the sculpting of granite. This had not been done since the time of the ancient Egyptians due to the extreme difficulty of working granite with any degree of accuracy. He travelled to the British Museum in London to make careful studies of the granite sculptures from ancient Egyptian, removed from

Luxor Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in Upper (southern) Egypt which includes the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of ''Thebes''. Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-a ...

and

Carnac Carnac (; br, italic=no, Karnag, ) is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan department in north-western France. Its inhabitants are called ''Carnacois'' in French. Carnac is renowned for the C ...

. These inspired him to reinvent the lost skill of sculpting in granite. Taking machinery to Aberdeen (the main area of granite quarrying in Scotland) from 1829 onwards he developed a major (and highly profitable) business in creation of granite sculptures and headstones, of growing complexity with the passage of time. He also appears to have invested in nearby granite quarries, including Dancing Cairns Quarry in the Bucksburn district of north-west Aberdeen. In 1838 he went into business with

William Leslie of Nethermuir Sir William Leslie of Nethermuir (1802–1879) was a Scottish architect and building contractor who served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen 1869 to 1873. Life He was born at New Deer in Aberdeenshire into a Congregationalist family. By 1828 he ...

, a building contractor and architect (and later

Lord Provost of Aberdeen The Lord Provost of Aberdeen is the convener of the Aberdeen City local authority in Scotland. They are elected by the city council and serve not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. They are equivalent in m ...

) but the business was dissolved in 1853 due to Leslie's growing interest in Aberdeen politics. In the

Great Exhibition of 1851 The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took pl ...

at Crystal Palace in London they earned several medals for the quality of their work. In the final years before his death he brought

into the company to create McDonald & Leslie. He died of

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

on 23 March 1860 at his townhouse, 7 Bon Accord Square in Aberdeen.

Alexander McDonald jr.

His son (1837-1884) continued the firm after his father's death. William Leslie appears to have got on better with father than son, and resigned in 1863 to go into local politics. McDonald jr. had brought Sydney Field into the firm in 1860 to increase artistry, and made him a full partner in 1863 when Leslie left, creating McDonald & Field. In 1864 Alexander had a stroke, and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He continued to run the company and continued to enter international competitions winning further medals at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, the

Philadelphia Exposition of 1876 The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

and

Melbourne International Exhibition (1880) The Melbourne International Exhibition is the eighth World's fair officially recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and the first official World's Fair in the Southern Hemisphere. Preparations After being granted self-go ...

. In 1867 they received a hugely important commission from

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

to create a Cairngall granite sarcophagus for Prince Albert to be placed in

Frogmore Frogmore is an estate within the Home Park, adjoining Windsor Castle, in Berkshire, England. It comprises , of primarily private gardens managed by the Crown Estate. It is the location of Frogmore House, a royal retreat, and Frogmore Cottage. Th ...

, with the effigies on the upper slab being designed by

Carlo Marochetti Baron Pietro Carlo Giovanni Battista Marochetti (14 January 1805 – 29 December 1867) was an Italian-born French sculptor who worked in France, Italy and Britain. He completed many public sculptures, often in a neo-classical style, plus re ...

. Following this the firm declared themselves as "granite sculptors to the Queen". He made a trip to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1869 to make studies of sculpture. Around 1870 he commissioned Kepplestone House in Aberdeen and was thereafter referred to as Alexander McDonald of Kepplestone. He died on 27 December 1884 and is buried in a huge pink granite sarcophagus of his own design in the churchyard of

St Machar's Cathedral St Machar's Cathedral usually called Old Machar (Scottish Gaelic: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Machar), (or, more formally, the Cathedral Church of St Machar) is a Church of Scotland church in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located to the north of the c ...

. On his death he bequeathed 150 paintings to Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum, including works by

Joseph Edgar Boehm Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, (6 July 1834 – 12 December 1890) was an Austrian-born British medallist and sculptor, best known for the " Jubilee head" of Queen Victoria on coinage, and the statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Pa ...

George Anderson Lawson George Anderson Lawson (Edinburgh 1832 – 23 September 1904) was a British Victorian era sculptor who was associated with the New Sculpture movement. Life He was born at Edinburgh in 1832, the son of David Lawson and Anne Campbell. He wa ...

, G F Watts, Sir

Joseph Noel Paton Sir Joseph Noel Paton (13 December 1821 – 26 December 1901) was a Scottish artist, illustrator and sculptor. He was also a poet and had an interest in, and knowledge of, Scottish folklore and Celtic legends. Early life He was born in Woo ...

, G D Leslie, Sir

Frederick Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classical antiqui ...

William MacTaggart Sir William MacTaggart, (1903–1981) was a Scottish painter known for his landscapes of East Lothian, France, Norway and elsewhere. He is sometimes called William MacTaggart the Younger to distinguish him from his grandfather, the painter Willi ...

and

Edward Poynter Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy. Life Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in Paris, Fr ...

Continuing work

On McDonald jr's death, Sydney Field also decided to quit, and sold his share in the company to Robert Ferguson late in 1884. Ferguson kept his name out of the firm's name and renamed it simply MacDonald & Co also creating a sister company the Aberdeen Granite Works. By the end of the 19th century the company had also opened two premises in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(Byers Road and Robertson Street) plus a premises in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(369-375 Euston Road). The company received a group of commissions for South Africa, linked to the Boer War. McDonald & Co and the Aberdeen Granite Works were wound up in 1941.

Works

The grave of Alexander Allan, shipbuilder, Glasgow Necropolis

*Corinthian columns on front of

St George's Hall, Liverpool St George's Hall is a building on St George's Place, opposite Lime Street railway station in the centre of Liverpool, England. Opened in 1854, it is a Neoclassical building which contains concert halls and law courts, and is recorded in the Na ...

(1841-1850) for C R Cockerell *Fountains in

(1845) *Monument to James Jeffrey (1848)

Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

*Statue of the 5th Duke of Gordon (1848) originally in Castlegate, Aberdeen, relocated to

Golden Square Golden Square, in Soho, the City of Westminster, London, is a mainly hardscaped garden square planted with a few mature trees and raised borders in Central London flanked by classical office buildings. Its four approach ways are north and sout ...

in 1952 *Huge obelisk to James McGrigor (1851) originally at

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

relocated to

Duthie Park Duthie Park, situated in Aberdeen, Scotland, by the banks of the River Dee, comprises of land given to the council in 1881 by Lady Elizabeth Duthie of Ruthrieston, in memory of her uncle and of her brother. She purchased the land for £30,000 f ...

in 1890 *Monument to Robert Baird of Auchmedden (1856)

*Monument to Robert Barclay, shipbuilder (1864)

John Thomas Rochead John Thomas Rochead (28 March 1814 – 7 April 1878) was a Scottish people, Scottish architect. He is most noteworthy on a national scale for having been the designer of the Wallace Monument. Life He was born in Edinburgh, the son of John Ro ...

*Monument to Anne Stephen (1867)

*Monument to Elizabeth Burges (1867)

working with Galbraith & Winton *Tomb of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at

(1867) *Grave of William Darling (1868)

*pedestal for statue of John Elder (1869) in Elder Park (for

) *Monument to Lt Col Charles Seton Guthrie (1875) in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederic ...

*Memorial to 74th Highlanders (1883) in

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbishop ...

*Mausoleum to 2nd

Earl of Kilmorey Earl of Kilmorey () is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1822 for Francis Needham, 12th Viscount Kilmorey, a General in the British Army and former Member of Parliament for Newry. He was made Viscount Newry and Mourne, in th ...

(1881) in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Estab ...

*Mausoleum to Lt General Duncan Sim (1888) in

*Huge Allan monument in

(1894-1899) working with

James Pittendrigh Macgillivray James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856 – 29 April 1938) was a Scottish sculptor. He was also a keen artist, musician and poet. He was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, the son of a sculptor, and studied under William Brodie and John Mossman ...

who did the bronze figures *Monument to Robert Cochran, Provost of Paisley (1898) in Hawkhead Cemetery in Paisley (portrait panel stolen) *Monument to Charles Garnier in Paris (1899) *Grave of

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein Prince Christian Victor Albert Louis Ernst Anton of Schleswig-Holstein (14 April 1867 – 29 October 1900) was a member of the British royal family. He was the eldest son of Princess Helena, third daughter of Queen Victoria. Early life Pri ...

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

, South Africa (1901) *Monument to General

Edward Woodgate Sir Edward Robert Prevost Woodgate (1 November 1845 – 23 March 1900) was an infantry officer in the British Army. Family and education Woodgate was born in November 1845 at Belbroughton, Worcestershire, the son of Rev Henry Arthur Woodgate, ...

at Spion Kop in South Africa (1901) *Monument to

William Dick-Cunyngham Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Dick-Cunyngham VC (16 June 1851 – 6 January 1900) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British a ...

VC at Ladysmith, South Africa (1901) *Memorial to

Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred (Alfred Ernest Albert; 6 August 184430 July 1900) was the sovereign duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 1893 to 1900. He was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was known as the Duke of Edinburgh from ...

, second son of

(1901) at

Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen. The estate and its original castle were bought ...

*Monument to James Wilson (1907) in

Hampstead Cemetery Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is j ...

*Granite work on Ashburnham Library in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

Drinking fountains

From around 1880 they began to specialise in drinking fountains. Notable examples include: * James Crum Memorial Fountain (1861)

George Square, Glasgow George Square ( gd, Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of six squares in the city centre, the others being Cathedral Square, St Andrew's Square, St Enoch Square, Royal Exchange Sq ...

*Martyrs Memorial Fountain (1864) relocated from Castle Street to St Mungo Avenue in 1984 * Richard Vaughn Yates Memorial Fountain (1858) in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

(vandalised)

Artistic recognition

A bust of McDonald jr by

William Brodie William Brodie (28 September 1741 – 1 October 1788), often known by his title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of a trades guild, and Edinburgh city councillor, who maintained a secret life as a housebreaker, partly for ...

is held by the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum.

Gallery

File:St George's Hall, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 3248259.jpg, Columns on St George's Hall, Liverpool File:Tomb of James Wilson Pasha and Wife in Hampstead Cemetery.jpg, Tomb of James Wilson in

File:Lt. general Duncan Sim mausoleum Kensal Green Cemetery.jpg, Lt. general Duncan Sim mausoleum in

File:Entrance to The Kilmorey Mausoleum.jpg, Mausoleum to 2nd Earl of Kilmorey in

File:Statue of John Elder, Elder Park, Glasgow (geograph 3583027).jpg, Statue of John Elder, Elder Park, Glasgow File:London, Trafalgar Square -- 2016 -- 4856.jpg, Fountain in

File:Egyptian style mausoleum at Kensal Green Cemetery.JPG, General Sim's mausoleum in

File:Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig Holstein Church Street Cemetery in Pretoria 056.jpg, Grave of Prince Christian Victor in Pretoria File:Charles Garnier monument at the Palais Garnier - detail from Opéra rampe nord.jpg, Monument to Charles Garnier at the Palais Garnier

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Alexander 1794 births 1860 deaths People from Perthshire Scottish sculptors