Description |
Consists of correspondence and notes largely written by, or addressed to H A Basterfield, regarding the staff, history and eventual closure of the Portobello Bottle factory. Also contains factory site plans, as well as photographs of the factory premises, staff and staff events, including the Portobello Pensioner's reunion in 1973. |
Admin
history |
From the 19th century Portobello was an area important for its brick, pottery and glass industry. The site of the United Glass (Scotland) Portobello Bottle factory originally began as a chemical works in the 1820s before converting to green bottle manufacture in 1848. By 1920 the factory site was owned by The Distillers Co. Ltd and formed into Woods Bottle Works Ltd., which in turn was taken over by The United Glass Bottle Manufacturers Ltd in 1937. Mr H A Basterfield became manager of United Glass (Scotland) Portobello Bottle factory in 1959, and held this position until the factory's closure in 1967. Afterward he remained in the employment of the United Glass Group until his retirement in 1976. |