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Mike Macdonald’s Transport History Pages

Shipbuilding & Shipping Records

e-mail: macdonald.mike@planetinternet.be

The Ship Photo Search Database

The Ship Photograph Search (SPS) database lists selected items from the "Offers" Lists and catalogues of some two dozen personal and public archive collections of ship photographs and negatives. The main subject areas are British-built and -owned merchant ships, built since the 1920s. Computer searches can be done for individual named ships, or lists of ships by Ship Owner may also be provided. To see an extract from the Ship Photo Search Database, click on Ship Photo Search: "Ne-". For other useful photographic sources. For select bibliography of books containing official builders' photographs.

Please note. Photographs of ships wrecked or sunk, especially ships lost before 1914, or War losses, are difficult to trace. I may have to refer you to the National Maritime Museum's Historic Photograph Collections.

Ship Photo Search: Blue Star Line & associated companies½ Ship Photo Search: "Neaera"½

Ship Photo Search: "Tabaristan"-"Taymount"

Ship Pages½ Mike Macdonald List-Da½ Home ½ "Continuity" (1955) ½ "Sylvania" (1957) ½

The photographic collections covered at present include:

TB = Terry Bolton, 22 Cobb Road, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 3LE; tel. (01442)-874914; telephone inquiries welcome; lists supplied £p. Coverage: British and foreign vessels, 1950s- date. http://www.terryboltonships.50megs.com/

BM&AG = Bristol Museums & Art Gallery, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RL;

tel. (0117) 922 3571. Coverage: York Collection of glass plate negatives, taken c1870-c1914, of ships in the Avon and at Bristol Docks (includes sail); the Spragg/Darling Collections; the Keen Collection of photographic prints, a large general collection of ships, taken c1890- c1970; and the "official" Port of Bristol Authority Collection, 1945-1985. Collections are being listed on computer.

JC = John Clarkson, Ships in Focus, 18 Franklands, Longton, Preston PR4 5PD, England; tel. (01772)-612855; lists supplied. Coverage: Large personal collection of British and foreign vessels, early 20th century-date, and also holds the Airfoto, Feilden and Rayner Collections of negatives. Collections being listed on computer. See also: http://www.shipsinfocus.f9.co.uk/

e-mail: info@shipsinfocus.co.uk ; sales@shipsinfocus.co.uk

Andrew Denholm's ship photographs: http://www.denholma.freeserve.co.uk/ship/

DDA = Dundee District Archive & Record Centre, Administrative Division, 21 City Square, Dundee DD1 3BY, Scotland; tel. (01382)-23141. Coverage: Caledon S. B. & E. Co. "official" builder's photographs, c1900-1975.

DDL = Dundee District Libraries, Central Library, Wellgate, Dundee DD1 1DB, Scotland; tel. (01382) 434318. e-mail: local.studies@dundeecity.gov.uk The main collection is the Wilson Collection of glass plate negatives of ships at Dundee and in the Tay, taken between c1880 and c1914. Subjects include many sailing ships, small Tay ferries and Dundee whalers.

FDM = Falkirk Council Museum Services, Callendar House, Callendar Park, Falkirk, FK1 IYR, Scotland; tel. (01324)-503779. Coverage: Negatives and transparencies of ships built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co., and of ships visiting Grangemouth docks, 1920s-1970s.

http://www.falkirkmuseums.org e-mail: callendar.house@falkirk.gov.uk

Glasgow City Archives: e-mail: archives@cls.glasgow.gov.uk

GCL/W = Glasgow City Libraries, Wotherspoon Collection, Glasgow Room, Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow G3 7DN, Scotland; tel. (0141)-305 2937 or 2938. Coverage: Photographic albums of Sir James Wotherspoon, covering Clyde-built ships and Clyde shipping, late-19th century-1930s. The Mitchell Library also holds the Graham Langmuir Collection of ship negatives. e-mail: history_and_glasgow@cls.glasgow.gov.uk

GUA = Glasgow University Archives, Business Record Centre, 13 Thurso Street, Glasgow G11 6PE, Scotland; tel. (0141)-330 5516. Collections listed on computer.

e-mail: dutyarch@archives.gla.ac.uk Website: http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/

Coverage: Clyde-built ships and Clyde shipping, late 19th century-1970s; includes "official" builders' negatives/photographs of Ailsa S.B. (Troon), Lithgows, Scotts' (Greenock), A. Stephen, and the official Ellerman Group collection.

HDL = Hartlepool District Library, 124 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9DE; tel. (01429) 263778. Coverage: A small collection of b+w photographs of ships visiting Hartlepool, late 19th century-1970, including sail. N.B. Possible problems over reproduction and copyright.

HTDM = Hull Town Docks Museum, Queen Victoria Square, Hull, E. Yorks, HU1 3DX; tel. (01482) 613908 (Curator) or (01482) 613902. Barnard and Cartlidge Collections of ship negatives and dock views, Hull & the Humber, between c1900-c1970. Collections listed in book catalogues. Covers fishing vessels, sailing ships and steamers.

MM = Mike Macdonald, Av. de la Héronnière 88/52, 1170 Brussels, Belgium; tel. (00 32 2) 660 47 21; telephone inquiries welcome; computer searches. Coverage: Mainly British subjects, 1950s-date.

DMcK = Duncan MacKenzie, 10 Polvillion Road, Fowey, Cornwall, PL23 1HF, England; tel. (01726)-833122; telephone inquiries welcome; lists supplied. Coverage: British and foreign vessels, 1950s-date.

MPL = Maritime Photo Library (Adrian Vicary), 8 Jetty Street, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9HF, England. (Lists available £p). Coverage: British and foreign vessels, inc. many coasters, 1900s-date.

MMM/McR = Merseyside Maritime Museum, Maritime Records Centre, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AA; tel. (0151)-207 0001; telephone inquiries welcome; computer searches. Coverage: Includes the McRoberts Collection (McR) of photographs of British & foreign ships, most main British shipowners, 19th century-1980s, and Bale and Journal of Commerce Collections.

NCL = Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries, Central Library, PO Box 1DX, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 1DX; tel (0191) 261 0691. e-mail: mailto:city.information@newcastle.gov.uk

Coverage: Armstrong, Mitchell, Whitworth Ltd official photographs, 1880-1914 and 1925-1931. There is also a large collection of photographs of ships to which there is no printed catalogue; illustrations are arranged alphabetically by ship's name and can be viewed on request.

JP = Jim Prentice, 23 Ross Gardens, Motherwell ML1 3BE, Scotland. http://uk.geocities.com/jprentice23/index.html Tel. (mobile) + 44 07765 211 370 (evenings best). Jim has a collection of 13,000 merchant ships (1960s-date), and 1,000 naval vessels (1970s-date), black + white and colour. Lists of photographs of shipping in Scottish waters can be supplied, on receipt of an SAE.

SLV = State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Coverage: Australian shipping from late 19th century onwards. The images of the ships can be viewed through Internet at the SLV website: http://www.slv.vic. (et cetera), or +State +Library +Victoria. Access is through the "Multimedia Catalogue". There are several large collections, including photographic negatives, depicting sailing ships and early steamers. The Allan C. Green (1878-1954) Collection contains c4,900 images, for example.

http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/pictoria/imagesearch/b39348.htm

SRO = Scottish Record Office (known officially as "The National Archives of Scotland"), West Register House, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DF

Telephone: (0131) 556 6585. e-mail: wsr@nas.gov.uk

Coverage: Official builders' negatives and photographs, John Brown (Clydebank), Burntisland S.B., Henry Robb (Leith), 19th century-1970s/80s.

FRS = Roger Sherlock, 13 Eastern Road, West End, Southampton S03 3EP. Lists supplied. Coverage: British and foreign vessels 1920s-date.

SRA = Strathclyde Regional Archives, (now Glasgow City Archives), Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN; tel. (0141)-287 2913. Coverage: Ralston/Kelly Collection of official ship negatives, Clyde and other builders, and official negatives and photographs of Barclay, Curle & Co., C. Connell, Fairfield, Scott (Bowling), 19th century-1970s.

T&WA = Tyne & Wear Archives, Blandford House, Blandford Square, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, NE1 4JA; tel. (0191)-232 6789. e-mail: Twas@Gateshead.gov.uk Coverage: Official builders' photographs of J. Crown, Doxford, Readhead, Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson group (negatives), Sunderland Shipbuilders and J. L. Thompson, 19th century-1970s/80s.

UFTM = Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, Holywood, Co. Down, BT18 0EU, N. Ireland; tel. : +44 (0)2890 428 428; Fax: +44 (0)2890 428 728. Email: uftm@talk21.com Coverage: Harland & Wolff official builder's negatives, 19th cent.-......, and some Workman, Clark & Co. official photographs.

WIMM = Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum, The Collections Centre, National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Hoel Crochendy, Parc Nantgarw, Trefforest, Mid Glamorgan,
CF15 7QT. Coverage: Includes Hansen Collection of negatives of ships at Cardiff, 1920s-1970s, and G. W. Rly. Collection of shipping South Wales ports, 1923-1947.

Website: http://www.nmgw.ac.uk/industry/archive/

WSPL = World Ship Society's World Ship Photo Library. See the website:

http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/ Monthly offers from the W.S.S.'s large collection of

negatives appear in the Society's magazine Marine News. For information about how to join the WSS, see the website. For a large index of published ship photographs, try WSS member John Bartlett, 6 Cottenham Park Road, London SW20 0RZ; tel. (0181) 946 9576. (John asks that written inquiries should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope).

Other useful photographic sources include:

Cheshire Museum Service,

See Barratt, Anthony J: Cheshire Shipyards, published by Bernard McCall, 400 Nore Road, Portishead, Bristol BS20 8EZ, 2000. Includes Cheshire Museum Service photographs of Yarwood- and Pimblott-built ships.

Cumbria Record Office, Barrow, 140 Duke Street, Barrow in Furness LA14 1XW

Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Barrow: photographs (214) of ships, submarines and ships models, including Colossus aircraft carrier; Stratheden and other ships, incl Graph, captured German submarine, 20th cent (BDP 56):

Imperial War Museum - Department of Photographs, All Saints Annexe, Austral Street, London SE11, England; tel. (0171) 416 5333

LANCASTER MARITIME MUSEUM: http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/council/museums City Museum photographic collection, many with local shipping interest; precise contents not known

Lowestoft Record Office, Central Library, Clapham Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1DR, holds the Moore and Mitchley collection of over 13,000 ship photos; (information) by written request only, with name of vessel.

Maritiem Museum Prins Hendrik, Maritiem Documentatie- en Informatiecentrum, Leuvehaven 1, 3011 EA Rotterdam, Netherlands

For information about collections of photogaphs of French-built and -owned ships, try Musée de la Marine, Palais de Chaillot, Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75116 Paris. Tel. (Paris) 45 53 31 70.

National Maritime Museum - Historic Photographs, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF, England, tel. (0181) 855 1647. The National Maritime Museum's Historic Ship database can be searched directly from: www.nmm.ac.uk/cgi-bin/empower?DB=histphotos

Orkney Islands Council, Photo Archivist, Orkney Library, Laing Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1NW, Orkney: http://194.217.118.81/services Collection of photographs includes Orkney shipping

Poole Local History Centre: Tel: 01202 262613; e-mail: localhistory@poole.gov.uk Large photographic collection of vessels and port of Poole.

Port of Lowestoft Research Society. c/o H W Boje. 35 Beccles Road, Oulton
Broad, Suffolk NR33 8QT has Negative List No.1 Fishing Boats and Rig Safety
Ships, List No.2 Commercial and Coastal, each at £1. They cover vessels that
have visited Lowestoft, not just locally registered ones.

Redcar & Cleveland Museums' Service: Tel: 01642-479500; e-mail: museum_services@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk Shipbuilding collections including photos of Smith's Dock (shipbuilders), South Bank.

K. E. Royall collection via Vickers Photo Archive

Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives: Tel: 020 8980 4366/Ext 129: Bolt Collection, concerning principally 19th century shipping - c 3700 photographs

Vickers Photo Archive, The Dock Museum, North Road, Barrow-in-Furness: www.dockmuseum.org.uk On the Dock Museum front page, click on The Dock Museum (or Enter) - click on "Collections" - click on "Vickers Photo Archive" - "Shipbuilding" - at "Enter keyword to search for", enter the name of a Vickers-built ship; e.g., Lady of Mann, Moreton Bay, Nova Scotia; thumbnails may/will appear, showing ships and their interiors - click on thumbnail to see enlarged image.

Victor Young, 97a Ira Street, Miramar, Wellington 6003, New Zealand

Wright & Logan warships collection, the Royal Navy Museum, Portsmouth became the new owners as from the 1st March 2000 and believe prints will be made commercially available.

The Royal Naval Museum Library, HM Naval Base (PP66) Portsmouth, PO1 3NH.

Tel. 02392 723795. Fax: 02392 723942 e-mail: library@royalnavalmuseum.org

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For further information about access to the SPS database:

e-mail: macdonald.mike@planetinternet.be

All inquiries about photographs should be addressed to the appropriate photographer or archive direct. When writing to a photographer, please remember to include a stamped/addressed envelope for his reply. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained on the SPS database is correct, you should check with the photographer or archive to make sure that the ship listed is the one you actually want.

The following publications include many "official" builder's and archive photographs of ships:

Bartram & Sons. Over A Century of Achievements (1950s). Contains photographs of Bartrams-built ships.

Credland, Arthur G. & Michael Thompson: The Wilson Line of Hull 1831-1981. Hutton Press, 1994.

Elkin, Paul. Images of Maritime Bristol. Breedon Books, 1995.

Groundwater, Ken. Maritime Heritage: Newcastle & the River Tyne. Silver Link Publishing Ltd., 1990. Address: The Coach House, Garstang Road, St. Michaels, Lancs. PR3 0TG

Harris, Nigel (ed). Portrait of a Shipbuilder: Barrow-built Vessels from 1873. Silver Link Publishing Ltd., 1989. Address: The Coach House, Garstang Road, St. Michaels, Lancs. PR3 0TG

Jenkins, David. Shipping at Cardiff (1920-1975): Photographs from the Hansen Collection. University of Wales Press/National Museum of Wales, 1993.

Johnston, Ian. Beardmore-Built: The Rise & Fall of a Clydebank Shipyard. Clydebank District Libraries & Museums Dept., 1993. Illustrated history.

Johnston, Ian. Ships for a Nation: 1847-1971 - John Brown & Company, Clydebank. West Dumbartonshire Libraries & Museums, 2000.

National Maritime Museum. Historic Photographs at the National Maritime Museum. N.M.M., 1995.

O'Hara, George C. Ironfighters, Outfitters and Bowler Hatters. Clyard Novella Ltd., 1997. Address: Clyard Novella Ltd., 16 Garryhorn, Prestwick, Sout Ayrshire, KA9 2HU, Scotland.

Readheads 1865-1965.

Spaldin, B. Shipbuilders of the Hartlepools. Hartlepool Borough Council, 1986. Illustrated history, including William Gray & Co., Ltd.

Walker, Fred; M. Song of the Clyde: A History of Clyde Shipbuilding. Patrick Stephens, Cambridge, 1984.

The following are useful guides to photographic and written records of shipping and/or shipbuilding held in public archives and libraries:

Bryon, Rita V. and Terence N. Bryon. Maritime Information: A Guide to Libraries & Sources of Information in the United Kingdom (3rd edition). Maritime Information Association, 1993.

Ritchie, L.A. Editor. The Shipbuilding Industry: A Guide to Historical Records. Manchester University Press, 1992.

Ship Photo Search-Ne½ Mike Macdonald List-Da½ "Continuity" ½ "Sylvania"

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Ó Mike Macdonald, 2000-2003. Page last modified: 02 April 2003