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Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Archives, historical photographs and social history collection
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Discover the social and industrial history of Renfrewshire's people from the earliest inhabitants, the development of Paisley Abbey from its establishment in 1169, up to the industries of the 19th and 20th centuries. Renfrewshire has an incredibly rich past.
- The food, textiles, engineering and shipbuilding industries of the 19th and 20th centuries are represented by a variety of objects.
- Everyday objects used by the people who worked in these industries make up much of the archives and social history collection.
We hold a collection of more than 20,000 historic photographs, dating from the 1850s right up to the present day. Street scenes, buildings and industries feature prominently in the collection. Copies of images from the historical photographic collection are available on request.
The archive collection is shared with Paisley Central Library and includes records from J & P Coats, the world-famous thread manufacturers, together with collections relating to Paisley, Renfrew, Johnstone and other parts of Renfrewshire.
The archive collections are available to view 9am - 4pm Monday - Saturday. You may wish to contact us in advance to arrange a visit. It may also be possible to make an archive item available outwith these times in the library with prior notice.
For more information about these collections please contact us:
Heritage services
The archive collection is shared with Paisley Central Library and includes records from J & P Coats, the world-famous thread manufacturers, together with collections relating to Paisley, Renfrew, Johnstone and other parts of Renfrewshire.
The archive collections are available to view 9am - 4pm Monday - Saturday. You may wish to contact us in advance to arrange a visit. It may also be possible to make an archive item available outwith these times in the library with prior notice.
For more information about these collections please contact us:
Heritage services
- Email locstuds.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
- Phone 0141 889 2360
- Paisley Central Library 68 High Street, Paisley, PA1 2BB
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