Smudge (died 2000) was a Scottish cat who became a minor celebrity in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
. She was employed by the
People's Palace museum in
Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge.
History
In ...
to deal with a rodent problem in 1979.
Smudge then became a fixture of the museum,
which sold Smudge merchandise including ceramic replicate real life sculptures designed by noted potter
Margery Clinton. In the 1980s, Smudge became a full
blue-collar
A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labor or skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, warehousing, mining, carpentry, electrical work, custodia ...
member of Branch 29
of the
General, Municipal and Boilermakers Trade Union,
after
NALGO
The National and Local Government Officers' Association was a British trade union representing mostly local government "white collar" workers. It was formed in 1905 as the National Association of Local Government Officers, and changed its full ...
refused her admission as a
blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labour, manual labor or Tradesman, skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, Warehouse, warehousing, mining, ...
.
Smudge was used as a mascot for several campaigns including 'Save the Glasgow Vet School' (1989), 'Paws Off Glasgow Green' (1990). In 1987, Smudge disappeared for a number of weeks, but after many appeals (including one by the
Lord Provost
A lord provost () is the convenor of the local authority, the civic head and the lord-lieutenant of one of the principal cities of Scotland. The office is similar to that of a lord mayor. Only the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Stirlin ...
of Glasgow) she was recovered.
Smudge left the People's Palace in 1990 with the departure of
Elspeth King
Dr Elspeth King is a Scottish curator, writer and social historian. She is known for her role as curator of social history at the People's Palace Museum in Glasgow, as Director the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, and for her scholarshi ...
, the museum's curator. When Elspeth became director of
Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
's
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, formerly The Smith Institute, is an art and local history museum in Stirling, Scotland. The museum was founded in 1874 at the bequest of artist Thomas Stuart Smith.
History
Founding
Thomas Stuart Sm ...
, Smudge was called on again to deal with a rodent problem. Smudge died at her home in 2000 after a long illness. A plaque is now dedicated to the memory of Sister Smudge at one of the side entrances to the People's Palace; it reads:
See also
*
List of individual cats
This is a list of individual cats who have achieved some degree of popularity or notability.
Before the modern era
* Nedjem or Nojem (Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The cat of Puimre, second p ...
References
External links
Purr 'n' Fur: Smudge, the Trade Union Cat from Glasgow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smudge (Cat)
2000 animal deaths
Glasgow Green
Individual cats in Scotland
Working cats