At the bottom of Broughton Street stands a church building which in 1990 was semi-derelict and facing possible demolition. Only a few local residents and art specialists were aware of the spectacular mural decoration within, painted by Phoebe Anna Traquair. By 1990 this was in a shocking state of disrepair.
Fast forward to 2026, when on Thursday 14 May this building, now known as the Mansfield Traquair Centre, was the venue for a celebration of Dr Duncan Thomson’s 30 years as Chair of the Mansfield Traquair Trust which saved the building.
For Thomson, the loss of this building, designed by Robert Rowand Anderson, and its contents would have been a national disaster. At the time, Phoebe Traquair’s work had largely been forgotten and had fallen out of fashion, in common with that of many other women artists.
In his role as Keeper of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (SNPG), Thomson organised an awareness-raising exhibition in 1993, curated by Dr Elizabeth Cumming. It was a brave move as, by then, Traquair was a forgotten artist. But to quote Cumming, ‘Duncan’s faith in the quality of her art was rock solid – and remains so to this day.’
In 1996, the Trust needed a new Chair. Thomson was approached and readily agreed to take up the post. Little did he know it would be a significant part of his life for the next 30 years.
Funding was sought and the resulting award-winning conversion gave the building a new lease of life as a function space with extensive office accommodation. In effect, it saved the building and its murals for posterity.
Thomson, always alert to the power of publicity, coined the phrase ‘Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel’ to describe the building and murals in 2002. It’s a phrase which continues to be quoted by visitors to this day.
The event to celebrate this remarkable achievement was attended by many longstanding friends and colleagues as well as the Trustees of both the Mansfield Traquair Trust and Friends of Mansfield Traquair Centre.
Dr Elizabeth Cumming led the appreciation, outlining Thomson’s achievements and commenting, ‘These have been exciting years and so much was achieved under Duncan’s “command”.’
Thomson’s response to the plaudits lasted a lively and entertaining twenty minutes, and was delivered without a single note!
—Jennifer Swanson, Secretary, Friends of Mansfield Traquair Centre
