Miss Catherine Cranston

Catherine Cranston, born in Glasgow in 1849, was a leading figure in the development of tea rooms throughout Glasgow. She founded the Willow Tea Rooms (1894-1904) on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, and was a major patron of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mackintosh’s novel aesthetic interiors, including unusual furniture, elaborately stenciled walls and ornate fittings, brought a new era of progressive design to the attention of the Glasgow public and encouraged repeat customers for Miss Cranston in the competitive world of Glasgow tearooms. Cranston died in 1934 and is remembered for both her patronage of modern design as well as the crucial role her tea rooms played in turn-of-the-century Glasgow society.

Works associated with this person or group