How Scotland helped build a million dollar New York staircase

She said, like most New Yorkers, she had been unaware of the Scottish links.

“A lot of people don’t even realise that the capital of New York State is not New York City, it’s up the Hudson in Albany,” she said.

“I had visited Albany before and I had seen the magnificent staircase and Hugh had pictures of it – he had never seen it.

“He told me the story behind it and I said: ‘You have got to see the staircase’.”

So they took a tour and – over a period of a number of years – the project came together, resulting in the exhibition.

Both artists are happy with how it has turned out.

“There are lots of links with with New York and it’s sad that, by and large, they’ve been lost,” said Hugh.

“You know, it’d be nice to have those things back.

“So, maybe, this is a small start.”