Old Photograph Isla Bank Mills Keith Scotland

Old photograph of Isla Bank Mills on Station Road in Keith, a small town in Moray, Scotland. The Mills were established in 1805 for the production of tweed. When George Kynoch purchased the Isla Bank Mills similar mills in Scotland were closing down. As better breeds of sheep were introduced into the area, finer unprocessed wool became available. The Cheviot, with bright illustrious fleece, and the Black face ewe were crossed with Border Leicester. Tweeds were the first powerful export from the Mills. The better quality of wool from local sheep enabled Kynoch to concentrate on labour. Expertise in sorting, willeying, blending, fettling, scouring and drying, carding, combing, spinning, doubling, warping, headling, sleying and warp twisting, weaving, and overlooking emerged. In the latter 19th century the Mill added the finishing techniques of scouring and milling, drying burling, raising the nap and shearing, boiling and brushing, mending or darning, and pressing and packing.




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Old Photograph St. Margaret's Dominican Convent Hawick Scotland

Old photograph of St. Margaret's Dominican Convent in Hawick, Borders Scotland. St. Margaret's was the first convent of its kind in Scotland, built over three years between 1909 and 1912, for nuns of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. The group of sisters transferred from their original base at Stone, Staffordshire, England, and set up temporarily at 14 Buccleuch Street whilst architect Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie designed the convent and chapel. A meeting chaired by Reverend Johnman was held in the Town Hall ahead of the building work, with many Teries opposing the plans. However, building went ahead as scheduled and the dedication of the Chapel was reported in the November edition of 'Building News' in 1912. Alterations were made to the house in 1922, including the addition of Saint Catherine's room. The site was converted to a Home For Incurables, run by the Dominican Sisters. This was opened by Archbishop McDonald in 1934, with accommodation for up to forty five patients. The Catholic Herald reported in 1936 that most nuns had also been trained as nurses, and that the Mother Prioress was actively seeking contributions towards the debt involved in building and starting the home. In October 1958, a meeting held in the Town Hall proposed a ground breaking sheltered housing project for the elderly on ground adjoining Saint Margaret's. This was completed by architects Aitken & Turnbull, of Buccleuch Street, in 1966, with a new two storey building of nine houses. The adjoining hall was demolished in 1970. In 1987, the nuns became too elderly themselves to look after the residents and left the town. The home was then taken over by a voluntary committee. Since 1999 it has been run privately and is today known as the Buccleuch Care Centre, which incorporates the former St Margaret's Home and Buccleuch Rest Home.



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Old Photograph Cafe Balmuir Scotland

Old photographs of the cafe in Balmuir on the outskirts of the city of Dundee, Tayside, Scotland. Balmuir is located to the north of the Dighty Water 1½ miles East South East of Bridgefoot. By the 19th century, there were several mills on the Dighty processing textiles and grinding flour.




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Old Photograph Bruce's Furniture Shop Sauchiehall Street Glasgow Scotland

Old photograph of Bruce's Furniture Shop on Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Scotland. Bruce's was a notable retailer on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street, emerging after another business, Lumley's, vacated premises around 1923, taking over the corner spot after significant renovations.


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Old Photograph Barr And Stroud Factory Crow Road Glasgow Scotland

Old photograph of the Barr and Stroud Factory on Crow Road in Anniesland, Glasgow, Scotland. Barr and Stroud Limited was a pioneering Glasgow optical engineering firm. They played a leading role in the development of modern optics, including rangefinders, for the Royal Navy and for other branches of British Armed Forces during the 20th century. Archibald Barr and William Stroud had been associated from as early as 1888 when the two men were professors of, respectively, engineering and physics at the Yorkshire College, now the University of Leeds in England. In 1891 they were approached by the Admiralty to submit a design for a short base rangefinder for trial. By this time, Barr had returned to Scotland and taken the post of Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Glasgow. Although apart, Barr and Stroud kept in close touch and in 1892 they were awarded with a contract for six of their rangefinders. In 1895, Barr & Stroud's Patents Ltd was renting workshop space near the university, at 250 Byres Road, Glasgow, but demand for the product soon necessitated a move to larger premises in Ashton Lane, Glasgow. By 1904, 100 men were working for the company in a new purpose built factory in Anniesland, Glasgow designed by Campbell Douglas. Shortly thereafter, in 1909, Stroud resigned his chair at University of Leeds and moved to Glasgow to work for the company full time. Barr, in spite of a distinguished teaching career at Glasgow University, followed his example in 1913. Together they formed Barr & Stroud Limited that year.





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