Artists and Designers

Robert &Thomas Wood

Thomas Wood and his brother Robert were monumental sculptors. They had their business at Bruce St and then in 1849 at the gates of the Greenock Cemetery and employed 4 men. They were the sons of James and Agnes Wood, their father was a carter from Ardrossan.  Robert’s cemetery monuments were often large scale and elaborately […]

Patrick Downie 1854 – 1945

Patrick Downie was born in Greenock in 1854.  He was the only son of Irish parents Peter Downie and Margaret Murray.  He was their youngest child and was baptised in St Mary’s, Greenock on 12 October 1854.  His sisters were Susan and Agnes. Patrick always wanted to be an artist but family circumstances were such that […]

William Somerville Shanks 1864 – 1951

William Somerville Shanks was born in Gourock on 28th September 1864 to John and Helen Shanks. In the 1871 census they were living at 1, George Place, Gourock and  there were 4 children in the family, Mary, William, Agnes and Archibald. By the next census the family were in Glasgow and William was working as a […]

Archibald McVicar 1796 – 1861

Archibald McVicar was born in Rothesay in 1796 to Dugald and Ann McVicar.  His father was a blacksmith.  At some point in his early life he moved to Greenock and in 1822 he had a carver and gilders business at 6 William Street, ref: Commercial Directory 1821 – 1822.  By 1832 Archibald had his  carver […]

George Telfer Bear 1874 – 1973

Ebenezer and Jane Bear’s first son, George was born at 24 Wellington Street, Greenock on 30th October 1874 and duly announced in the Greenock Telegraph on 31st October.  In the Post Office Directory for 1878/79 Ebenzer is shown as having a Hatter’s business at 7 Hamilton Street.  However, by the 1881 census the family has moved […]

Ernest Archibald Taylor 1874 – 1951

Ernest Archibald Taylor was born on 5 September 1874 to William and Frances Taylor (nee Hawkins).  He was 15th in a family of 17 children.  In the 1881 census the family are at 32 Margaret Street and in the 1891 and 1901 at 8 Esplanade. His father was a full time officer in the army. Ernest trained […]

Robert Weir Schultz 1860-1951

Arts and crafts architect born in Port Glasgow on 26 July 1860 to Henry Schultz and Isabella Weir.  Henry had come from Germany and was a sugar refiner.  He married Janet but sadly she died in the 1850s.  He then married Isabella Weir, the daughter of a Galashiels doctor  Robert Weir and the family moved […]

Bet Low 1924 – 2007

Elizabeth (Bet) Low ARSA RSW DLitt was born in Gourock on 28 December 1924.  From an early age she loved the sea and river views around where she lived. Her talent as a landscape artist was recognised while she studied at Greenock Academy where she won the (Matthew) Rankin Prize For Art. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art […]

George Logan 1866 – 1939

George Logan was born in Beith, Ayrshire in 1866 to John and Jessie Logan.  After school he was an upholsterer’s apprentice in the flourishing furniture industry in Beith. He became a furniture designer for the prestigeous Glasgow company of Wylie & Lochhead having turned down an offer of work from the London firm of Waring and […]

Sir Stanley Spencer 1891 – 1959

The artist Stanley Spencer was appointed as official war artist during the Second World War to Lithgow’s Kingston Yard at Port Glasgow. He lodged at various places in that area over the war year while he undertook his work and produced a huge painting depicting the various trades involved in ship building a tribute to the men of the […]