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Summary

Description

James Salmon junior, (Salmon, Son, and Gillespie) 1897-8. Sculptor Derwent Wood (4 statues in stone). 6 storeys and attic, 9 main bays. Symmetrical Art Nouveau commercial building. Polished ashlar, brick rear elevation. Arcaded ground floor with squat columns and sculpted imposts, modern shops. Semi-circular projecting aedicule above main entrance at No 53 Bothwell Street with canopy supported on barley-sugar columns framing sculpted figure of seated man supported by richly sculpted cherubim brackets. Arched entrance with wrought-iron fan grille; 2 off-centre voussoir blocks, stylised heads.

Paired outer bays with vertically linked canted windows, rising from 1st to 4th floor; 1st floor slim stylised columns with exaggerated entasis, supporting window heads with animal relief sculpture; plain windows above; double attic storey supported on giant central sculpted

corbel, free-standing columns linked by wrought-iron balustrade; sculpted, pedimented head with finial.

5-bay central section: sculpted heads to 1st floor windows and frieze with raised lettering "Trees grow, birds fly, fish swim, bells ring"; 2nd floor sculpted figures in consoled niches, from left; 'prosperity' 'prudence' 'industry'; 3rd and 4th floors with slim, giant attached

stylized composite columns, balcony breaking forward in outer bays with wrought-iron balustrade; sculpted heads above 3rd floor windows in outer bays; 4th floor plain cornice; 4-bay arched eaves gallery with canted tripartite windows; main cornice; corniced dormers with pyramidal slate roofs in outer bays of central section; canted dormer in central bay supported on richly sculpted bracket, with bell-cast roof and finial; above 1st floor, centre of elevation defined by narrow windows to each floor.

REAR ELEVATION TO BOTHWELL LANE: 8 bays of shallow, canted metal-framed windows rising full-height from 1st floor; 4-bay raised attic section in centre. 2 arched bays on ground floor with keyblocks, tripartite with pilasters, fanlight with timber glazing bars. Round-headed, incised panel between 2 arched bays with incised Art Nouveau lettering "The Mercantile Chambers" cast-iron columns in basement.

Statement of Special Interest

Upgraded B to A 21.7.88

References

Bibliography

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