Fintry Primary School – 1839-1961

This week’s image was included in a series of views taken around the village of Fintry On the front of the building a clock is clearly visible The building had been the local school   Financed by a Mr John Stewart, a retired Fintry merchant, it was named after him –

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The Tree of Woman by Janette Macleod

Once again, the members of the Glasgow Society of Women Artists are exhibiting at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious societies in Britain, with its origins in the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists, established in 1882. The word ‘Glasgow’ is

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Stirling “Carnegie” Library

I am ashamed to admit that it has been many years since I was inside this well-known and much loved local landmark Stirling’s Library has been open since 1904, the foundation stone of which was laid by Mrs Louise Carnegie, on 11th October 1902 Regular subscribers to this blog will

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Dentolux Lamp, Dental Health in the 1920s-40s

The Dentolux Lamp was made in 1935 by the British Hanovia Company of Slough, founded in 1924 and still in business. The company have always specialised in ultra violet lighting products and today they produce industrial systems for the UV treatment of water in ships’ ballasts and in swimming pools.

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Butt Well, Stirling

  A well- known landmark, to locals at least, the Butt Well is unfortunately not on the “Bucket List” of most Tourists visiting Stirling Until I came across the image, while volunteering at The Smith, I am ashamed to say that it was a local landmark of which I had

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The Stirling to Cowie Bus, Forsyth’s Motor Bus Services

Here is a modern tribute to Forsyth’s Motor Bus Services. The company was set up by Thomas Forsyth and his wife Margaret Dickson in 1922, with a fleet of six buses. By 1925-6, he had twelve driver and conductor licenses. The service was run from Plean-Bannockburn-St Ninians-Stirling. He owned a

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Agricultural Traction Engine

Childhood has changed so much since the early 20th Century   Today, electronic gadgets and games have replaced the fun of getting out into the fresh air, and experiencing life The boy and girl in this image, would appear to be having a great time playing on the steam traction engine,

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Heel of the Dr Chalmers worn as he walked out of the general assembly and created teh Free Church of Scotland

Turning Point of History

This object from the Stirling Smith collections marked a literal turning point in the history of Scotland.  The iron boot heel was highly prized in its time, and the purchaser paid 10 guineas for it, a sum of about £6,000 in today’s prices.  The label is inscribed ‘Heel of the

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Keir Hardie and Merthyr Tydfyl

  A 1910 parliamentary election poster for Merthyr in South Wales may seem to have no connection with Stirling, but it is one of the documents on display in the Graham Library in the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.  The aristocrat, Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham (1852-1936) and the miner

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Discovering Bakehouse Close, Edinburgh

 Volunteering at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum brings many opportunities to handle and view important and interesting artefacts and collections A recent bequest of glass negatives and photographs taken by a local man named  Thomas. W. J. Leishman in the late 19th – early 20th Century is a

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