The Paterson Collection

The Paterson Collection of Clyde shipping photographs was compiled by Mr. Robert Beatty Paterson of Dunoon. It is a special record of 100 years of shipping on the Clyde from the middle of the nineteenth century until the middle of the twentieth century. It contains almost 5,000 images of all the many types of vessels that were once so common on the Clyde and also records many of the piers, harbours and anchorages of the river.

Mr. Paterson realised the importance of this historic record and wanted to share the collection with the public and historians. During an interview in April 1983 he said: "I had a great interest in the collection but lack of suitable storage space and a feeling that the photographs should be available to others prompted me to donate them to the McLean Museum."

The text and images on this page are the copyright of the McLean Museum and Art Gallery. For enquiries about this collection please contact us at wattinstitution@inverclyde.gov.uk.