Members of the Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society with a stuffed stag outside Kelvingrove House, c 1873. This building was demolished to make way for the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which opened in 1901
The first dated reference to the Foresters is in 1745 when they held a meeting at Knaresborough in Yorkshire, but it was not until 1834 that the order was established in its present form. The Foresters help people through the "Forest of Life" by providing support in sickness, bereavement and times of hardship. During the Victorian period the order spread across Britain and also abroad, and it remains popular today.
Reference: TEMP.2039.284
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society, friendly societies, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Kelvingrove House, museums, mutual societies, self help, stags