A few months ago on a number of other blogs, I came across an advert for the Bridgeton Company D&J Anderson's shirting, made at the Atlantic Mills in Walkinshaw Street, Glasgow. Despite living in and around Glasgow all my life, I had never heard of this Company, their product, the Atlantic Mills or Walkinshaw Street.
After a little research, and having begged a log in for an online Architectural Reference Library I was able to find not only where the Mills had been (the Street has been largely built over) but also some pictures of the Mills shortly before they were demolished in 1967-9.
Walkinshaw Street is situated not far from Celtic Park (more usually refered to as Parkhead by Glaswegians - or Paradise by Celtic fans) the ground of Glasgow Celtic, one of the "Old Firm" Football clubs in Glasgow. By the time these pictures had been taken the Mills had been closed for some time and the buildings left derelict.Anderson & Lawrie cotton manufacturers was founded in 1822 and taken over in 1839 by brothers David and John Anderson. The Atlantic Mills were built in Bridgeton in 1864. Under chairman D. B. Anderson, D. & J. Anderson expanded in the early 20th century, becoming a private limited company in 1911. Atlantic Mills was a major employer in the East End with 700 looms. The firm concentrated on the manufacture of high-quality dress fabrics with short production runs. Their shirtings, in particular, acquired a strong reputation at the top end of the market. D & J Anderson was absorbed by the House of Fraser's holding Company, Scottish Universal Investments (SUITS) Group in 1959, the same year that SUITS aquired the Harrods Group, at which point production was moved elsewhere. House of Fraser are worthy of a post of their own. The D. & J. Anderson name is now owned by Cotonoficio Albini SPA, who acquired the Company in 1997, buying in the same year Thomas Mason and Aston Shirtings, the other acknowledged "premier-league" shirting manufacturers. A selection of products of the firm David & John Anderson. The firm was described in their advertisement in the Commercial year book of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce & Manufactures in 1915 as manufacturers of "the original Scotch plaid ginghams, novelties in cotton dress goods, and highest grade shirtings" at Atlantic Mills, Bridgeton. Zephyr was a new fabric originated by the firm.