page_title: James Cowan Smith
section_title: Will
hierarchical_section_title: James Cowan Smith / Will
context_page_description: James Cowan Smith was a British civil engineer and philanthropist. He lived in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and was director of a railway company. In his last will and testament he left a bequest of more than £55,000 to the National Gallery of Scotland to be used to expand its collections. The fund has since purchased more than 40 works of art, produced by some of the world's most famous artists. An unusual condition of the bequest was that a portrait of his dog, a Dandie Dinmont terrier named Callum, was to be on permanent display at the gallery. The gallery has honoured this request ever since.
context_section_description: Cowan Smith's last will and testament was dated 26 May 1915.  After his death his estate was valued at £55,524 11s 2d (£2,600,000 in 2019).  Cowan Smith's will stated that the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland was to have free choice of any items from his estate for their collection.  The society chose some of his English-made porcelain and silver plate, though did not touch his library, which was later sold.  The porcelain was subsequently lent to the Royal Scottish Museum for display in its ceramics gallery.  
  The remainder of the estate, valued in excess of £55,000, was left to the  National Gallery of Scotland with the interest accruing to be used to purchase works of art.  The Cowan Smith bequest has been described as an important acquisition fund that helped to transform the museum.  The fund has enabled the purchase of more than 40 works including those by Turner, Goya, Constable, Rubens, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, John Singer Sargent and Diego Velázquez.
  The bequest had two conditions attached.  The first was that his dog Fury, a Dandie Dinmont terrier, was to be looked after by the gallery for the rest of his life.  The second was that a portrait of a previous (deceased) dog, Callum, by artist John Emms be on permanent display at the gallery.
caption: Callum by John Emms (1895)
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