Sights, sounds and smells of Scotland’s industrial heritage spring off the pages of newly-digitised catalogue

12 December 2012

The global reach of Scotland’s industrial might at the turn of the 20thC is highlighted in a catalogue of exquisite trade advertisements which have now been digitised.

Scotland’s Industrial Souvenir promoted the diverse range of products manufactured in Scotland and shows advertisements for soap, smoked fish and sacking, alongside others for brushes and boilers, heavy engineering and horseshoes.

Most striking is the evident pride that each company took in showcasing their factory buildings: almost every advertisement in the catalogue features full colour drawings of huge sheds and mills, with smoke pouring out of tall chimneys.

The catalogue was published in 1905 and over 6,000 copies were sent to Chambers of Commerce, British Embassies and Boards of Trade in every part of the world. Copies could also be found onboard Cunard passenger vessels travelling as far afield as South Africa and Japan.

The catalogue is now available online as part of the extensive National Collection held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). It was identified for digitisation by a curator researching Scotland’s industrial past among RCAHMS collection of rare books and manuscripts.