Old Photograph Shipyard Workers Glasgow Scotland

Old photograph of Shipyard workers from, Glasgow, Scotland. Scotland was once the shipbuilder to the world and the heart of its industry was sited on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Glasgow district of Govan. It was the famous Fairfield yard which took the Upper Clyde to great heights and worldwide prominence. The yard was founded in 1864 by William Elder, a talented marine engineer who developed the compound engine which transformed shipbuilding by allowing vessels to use fuel more efficiently and travel further. Under William Pearce from 1888, the company flourished, building luxurious ocean liners, steamers and naval ships for the world. At its peak before World War 1, the Fairfield shipyard was part of a local industry which directly employed 70,000 workers in 19 yards. The largest crane in the world, with a maximum lift capacity of 250 tons, was built at the Govan yard in 1911 and in the following year Fairfield had 12 ships under construction at the same time.



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