Craigmillar Steam Laundry

Category

Library Item

Item no

12008

Title

Craigmillar Steam Laundry, Edinburgh

Description

On a bare wooden floor men clean a carpet with brushes. Piled against the wall are rolled carpets that have been or are awaiting cleaning.

Artist / maker

Couper, James Lamb

Date

1890

Type

Photograph

The Craigmillar Steam Laundry was founded in the early 1880's. It is described in 'A Descriptive Account of Edinburgh - Illustrated', published around 1893, as "the largest, best arranged, and most perfectly equipped establishment of this kind in Scotland". The laundry used state of the art equipment including steam driven washing machines and hydro-extractors, a type of spin drier. In addition to the cleaning, ironing and finishing of clothes the laundry dealt with a whole range of materials including carpets and curtains. All finished goods were despatched in the company's horse drawn vans. In the late nineteenth century the laundry employed roughly 130 people.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Beams

Architecture > Architectural features > Floors

Business > Service industry > Cleaning establishments

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Caps

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shirts

Clothing and dress > Garments > Trousers

Furnishings > Ornamentation > Carpets

People > Industry > Laundrymen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Newington

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh