Sawmill department of Wm. Cummings & Son Ltd

Category

Library Item

Item no

37400

Title

Sawmill department of Wm. Cummings & Son Ltd. box makers, Murano Place

Description

A busy and cluttered scene within the sawmill department of Wm. Cummings & Son Ltd. shows boys working beside men at the circular saw machinery.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1898

Size

15.4 x 20.4 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh City Archives

William Cummings founded his box making business of Murano Place, Leith Walk in 1876. His son Andrew took responsibility for the business on his father's death in 1892 and changed the name to Wm. Cummings & Son Ltd in 1900. By 1907 the company employed 150 people across the different departments of sawmill, home and export case, confectionery box, tin lining, fancy paper box, leatherboard box and turning department. Under Andrew Cummings direction the firm continued, as his father had, to apply mechanical innovations and labour saving devices. The business was still in operation into the late 1960s.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Aprons

Manufacturing Industry > Manufacturing facilities > Factories

People > Adults > Men

People > Children > Boys

People > Children > Child labourers

People > Industry > Factory workers

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith Walk