Walter Macfarlane & Co supplied an ornamental cast iron tramway passenger shelter with clock tower at Southend-on-Sea, shown in this photograph c 1910. Cast iron provided solid protection from the elements.
Examples of ornamental ironwork produced at the Saracen Foundry can be found all over the British Isles and around the world. Unfortunately, many of the firm's products in Great Britain were destroyed after being requisitioned during the Second World War, as vital material for the war industries and to boost public morale. It was a scheme which actually resulted in the unnecessary destruction of much of Britain's ornamental street furniture and its being consigned to rot in scrap yards around the country. Many more were removed in the 1960's due to high maintainance costs.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC f672.2506541443 MCF
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
cast iron, clock towers, foundries, iron founders, ornamental ironwork, passenger shelters, Saracen Foundry, Second World War, street furniture, tramway shelters, tramways, Walter Macfarlane & Co