 | The inspiration of the shipyards. | Asbestos sculpture |
The enormous scale of Scottish shipbuilding in the 19th and 20th centuries gained Scotland a worldwide reputation for being a centre for excellence and innovation in heavy engineering. The great ocean liners such as the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth, built on the River Clyde, represented the high quality craftsmanship of Scottish workers to an international audience. The fixtures and fittings of these huge floating hotels contained the products of Scottish carpet-makers, furniture-makers, glass-makers and so on.  | Shipbuilding mural |
In the 20th century, many Scottish writers, painters, sculptors and film-makers were inspired by Scotland's shipbuilding industry and its traditions. The UCS 'work in', from 1971-1972, led to a number of writers, performers and other artists producing work inspired by the employees' struggle against the government. Over the past twenty five years, Scottish artists have been inspired to produce valuable memorials to an industry that has all but disappeared. |  | |
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