A postcard from the early years of the 20th century showing workmen leaving by the main gate of the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co's works at the corner of Govan Road and Elder Street. In the days when Glasgow had many large employers of labour, such sights were commonplace at the end of a shift, as large numbers of workers scrambled for available transport.
Architect John Keppie designed the Renaissance style long red sandstone ashlar office block on Govan Road, completed in 1891. Note the extra window space on the first floor of the south-facing facade, providing plenty of natural light for the drawing offices. Now a listed building, the office block is still in use in one of Glasgow's few surviving shipyards.
Reference: Mitchell Library GC Postcards
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Fairfield Shipyard, offices, red sandstone, Renaissance, shipbuilding, shipyard workers, shipyards