Threads of Belonging is all about the tartans of the Clan Macpherson – their history and present-day use. This website – the Archive of Belonging – forms one strand of it, and it records and archives pieces of tartan that members of the clan have, wear and cherish. You can see behind-the-scenes on the project’s Instagram account.
The project also consists of a book on the history of the clan tartans – and the tartans of the clan, fashion tartans worn by Macphersons found in portraiture and other imagery. The book explores the style and patterns of the Macpherson tartans, from its earliest mentions to the present day. A large part of the primary sources from part of the collection at the Clan Macpherson Museum in Newtonmore. One chapter of the book focuses on the depictions and narratives of the clan tartans in tourist books, while another reflects on the conversations that underpin the Archive of Belonging. Here, it discusses notions such as identity and belonging, and examines the practices around the tartan pieces in use by the clan today, such as what gets worn on which occasion; which pattern is preferred and why; and where have inherited pieces come from.
The third part of the project is all about creative responses, through the media of weaving, sewing, crochet and knitting.
Threads of Belonging is a research project led by Dr Mairi MacPherson, a historian and museum manager from the Scottish Highlands. In 2020, Mairi curated the digital exhibition Macphersoniana, which explored the story of the Clan Macpherson through objects and their stories. In 2021, Mairi redesigned the Clan Macpherson Museum with her husband, Dr Seamus MacPherson, and also wrote a book on James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson, as well as several academic articles on him and his works. She served on its Museum Advisory Committee for several years.
Threads of Belonging 