Blog at the Ballast

This year we're part of Renfrewshire's Doors Open Day, with the aim to ensure that Scotland's built heritage old and new is accessible to people living and visiting the country throughout September every weekend! 

Come along on Saturday 8th September 10am -4pm to our premises 18-20 Walkinshaw Street, Johnstone to have a look around and find out more about what we do!

We've been processing technical plans for shipbuilding, locomotives, and engineering for over 30 years and now you can find out how we do it! The collections we process are often for archives such as the University of Glasgow, Glasgow City Archive, and National Records of Scotland. 

Founded in 1988, this year the Ballast Trust celebrates its 30^th anniversary and as part of our initiative to tell the unique story of the Ballast Trust to a wider audience, we have decided to open our doors, providing the opportunity for both organisations and the public to understand how we support archive repositories to preserve, understand, and make accessible records relating to business and industry in Scotland. 

Want to learn more about what we do here at the Ballast Trust, or the importance of business archives?! Come along and visit us on Saturday 8th September 10am- 4pm at 18-20 Walkinshaw Street, Johnstone as part of Renfrewshire's doors open days!

More information to follow!

One of our most popular and favourite'd images on Flickr is 'Atlantic Locomotive'. Built by Andrew Barclay & Co. in 1907 for the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway (Type 0-6-2 T.  Works number 1098.) 

The records of Andrew Barclay & Co. are held at the University of Glasgow Archives and Special Collections. Find out more about the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. Records suggest that the locomotive livery was olive green lined out in black and yellow. 

This week's Friday Photo is from our Dan McDonald collection. 'Ailie' was Dan's yacht, purchased in 1925 along with his friend, Andrew Roulston. Ailie was refitted at Port Bannatyne and was used for regular weekend and holiday sailing. 

Ref: DC188-1-21

The Dan McDonald collection which is comprised of over five thousand negatives, each documenting the activity and latter inactivity on the River Clyde over a period of forty years, capturing what is arguably one of the most important periods in terms of Scotland's Shipbuilding Industry. 

However, the change in how Dan captures Ailie is quite interesting. Following their wedding, in 1930 both Dan and his wife used Ailie to explore the sea lochs in the Clyde area, and elsewhere. The intimate nature of these images is reflective of Dan's relationship to this yacht, clearly holding so many personal and cherished memories. 

~ Jennifer Brunton, archives assistant (graduate trainee). 

This week I attended 'Paisley's Industrial and Cultural Heritage Conference' held at Paisley Town Hall. This day long conference was presented jointly by The Paisley Centre for Business and Industrial History (UWS), the Business Archives Council of Scotland and Renfrewshire Council and was supported by Paisley Townscape and Heritage and Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (TH.CARS2) funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and Renfrewshire Council.   

Talks throughout the day covered topics from the the making of the Paisley Shawl, Paisley Abbey Rentals, Alexander Wilson, The Government School of Design, Peter Brough, The Hugh Smiley Nursery, Paisley Philanthropy and AF Craig. 

Each talk provided a unique celebration of Paisley's rich and vibrant history, reflecting the significance of Paisley's industrial and cultural heritage, not only of its importance within Scotland and the UK but also on an international level. 

The Ballast Trust and Business Archives Council of Scotland also had tables set up to spread the word on Business Archives! 

A really fantastic and informative day! 

~ Jennifer Brunton, archives assistant. 

In preparation for tomorrow's theme on all things Engineering, I thought this week's Friday photo would be a nice opportunity to show some of Bill's collection of shipyard and engine works photographs. 

This image is of the only diesel engine designed and built by Kincaids. This was fitted for the mv Kindiesel built by Ardrossan Dockyard, Yard no 361 in 1936. 

This photo is from the John G Kincaid & Co Ltd Collection, held by Glasgow City Archives. 

This Kincaids engine (K23) was fitted for Clan McDonald by Greenock Dockyard company. It was common for different parts which make up a ship, like the engine, to be made by another company and fitted at another shipyard. Each yard would have given the engine its own number for reference. 

This photo is from the John G Kincaid & Co Ltd Collection, held by Glasgow City Archives. 

This photograph of reduction gears for a steam turbine comes from the John G Kincaid & Co Ltd collection, held by Glasgow City Archives. 

This image shows at least 7 steam engines, mainly triple expansion engines in the E-shop at East Hamilton street works. This was taken c.1920 and is from the John G Kincaid & Co Ltd Collection held at Glasgow City Archives. 

You can view more here on our Flick page. Keep an eye out for tomorrows #Ballast30 on Engineering and our procedures for sorting through engine plans and drawings! 

This week I have been focusing on box listing Clyde Port Authority and Clyde Navigation Trust material from Glasgow City Archives. This has brought up some interesting findings, in particular volumes of 'Transactions of the Institution of Naval Architects' and a beautiful set of watercolour plans of the Harbour of Glasgow from Clyde Navigation c.1875 and 1840. 

 Transactions of the Institutions of Naval Architects. 1927 and 1928. 

 Clyde Navigation. Plan of the Harbour of Glasgow. 1875. Watercolour on paper (with support). 

Clyde Navigation. Plan of the Harbour of Glasgow. 1840. Watercolour on paper (with support). 

Clyde Navigation. Plan of the Harbour of Glasgow, 1800. Watercolour on paper (with support). 

Box listing provides us with an overview of material we have been temporarily given to process whilst allowing us to make an assessment on the condition of the collection and the most appropriate method of storage. Box listing also allows us to identfy material that is significant for research and any material that may need special access restrictions, for example material which is covered by Data Protection. Understanding what we have is beneficial to the Trust, the archive, researchers and the collection itself. 

If you haven't already have a look over on our Twitter and our #Ballast30 initiative where we're uploading a fact every day all about the Trust! 

This week I have been focussing on preparing for our upcoming twitter campaign #Ballast30! As this monthly favourite is also focussing on #Ballast30, I thought I would combine them both as I have spent this month planning the start of our 30th anniversary celebrations.

I have also started box listing material from Clyde Navigation Trust and Clyde Port Authority, this is a large collection of volumes, drawings and other material which will then be catalogued before going to Glasgow City Archives.

Beginning 1st June, we will be kick starting our celebrations with #Ballast30 where we will be sharing facts on twitter all about the Ballast throughout the month!

Taking inspiration from the Archives and Records Association #Archive30 and #Museum30, the idea behind this is to give one fact every day about the Trust throughout June; from our favourite quote, getting to know our Ballast dog Gypsy, to understanding our role within the Archives sector. Through this we hope it will raise awareness of what we do at the Trust and provide the opportunity to get to know us better and find out some interesting facts!

  

Bill Lind was a ship enthusiast and built up a large personal collection of plans, photographs, and postcards. This week’s photo is of tanker ‘Stolt Norness’ built by Boelwerf (c.1970) in Temse, Belgium. This image comes from Bill’s personal postcard collection, an important and invaluable resource for us when answering enquiries and carrying out research into ships. She was sold in 1977 and again in 1982 and renamed ‘Turpial.’

This week at the Ballast Trust we took delivery of the latest edition the Business Archives Council of Scotland's journal Scottish Business and Industrial History. 

The journal formerly known as Scottish Industrial History has been published by the Business Archives Council of Scotland (BACS) since 1977 and is devoted to the dissemination of original historical research into all periods and facets of Scotland's industrial and commercial past.

The 30th volume of the journal includes the following articles: