Description

Hardwood framed portrait photograph by Lafayette of Sir William Arrol dating from c.1897 understood to have come from one of the Arrol Company offices. It has a brass plate on the bottom rail of the frame bearing the words “Sir William Arrol LL.D. M.P. PRESIDENT 1895-97” [presumed to be the President of the Institution of Engineers & Shipbuilders in Scotland].

This image was published alongside an obituary to Sir William in The Engineer edition of 28 February 1913. This obituary may be read at http://https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/William_Arrol . (pages 230-231).

Sir William Arrol (1839-1913) was a bridge builder. His most notable constructions include the Tay Bridge, the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge in London.

Lafayette was founded in Dublin in 1880 and became a leading photographic business in the late XIX and early XX centuries. The firm operated from a number of studios throughout the United Kingdom. The Glasgow Studio was opened in Gordon Street in 1890 where this photograph may have been taken.

This item was loaned to South Ayrshire Council for an exhibition Spanning the Centuries Sir William Arrol’s Legacy in Steel, Stone, and Culture. Roselle House Museum & Galleries, Ayr. February – May 2023.