Barr and Stroud
Barr & Stroud Limited was a pioneering
History
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In 1895, Barr & Stroud's Patents Ltd was renting workshop space near the university, at 250 Byres Road, Glasgow, but demand for the product soon necessitated a move to larger premises in Ashton Lane, Glasgow. By 1904, 100 men were working for the company in a new purpose-built factory in Anniesland, Glasgow designed by Campbell Douglas.[1] Shortly thereafter, in 1909, Stroud resigned his chair at the University of Leeds and moved to Glasgow to work for the company full-time. Barr, in spite of a distinguished teaching career at Glasgow University, followed his example in 1913. Together they formed Barr & Stroud Ltd. that year.[2]
In 1914, they began extensions to the Anniesland works in order to meet the sharp increase in demand for their rangefinders that followed on the outbreak of the First World War. The war years saw the development of other products, including a torpedo depth recorder, a periscope rangefinder, fire-control systems and a dome sight for aircraft. During World War I there was a problem with the supply of binoculars to the armed forces and apart from the British makers, binoculars were bought in from various sources. So it was only natural that the military would be looking to rectify this problem. At the time Zeiss was probably the leading makers and the military thought this may cause a problem in the future.
It was c.1919 when the company started producing their first binoculars which were supplied to the British Navy and from then on the company continued to operate independently until c.1977 when they were taken over by the Pilkington Group. In 1992 operations moved from the original factory in Anniesland to a new plant in Linthouse on the site of the former Alexander Stephen and Sons shipyard. In 2000 the company became a subsidiary of the French company, Thales Group, and in 2001 Barr & Stroud Ltd became Thales Optronics Ltd.
The Barr and Stroud brand name was then bought by Eastleigh-based Optical Distribution Services Ltd, who re-registered as Barr and Stroud Ltd in 2008. The new company has developed a new range of binoculars and telescopes. The new range of Barr & Stroud binoculars are currently made in China (Nov. 2011) and distributed by Optical Vision Ltd and have no connection whatsoever with Barr & Stroud Ltd of Glasgow.
Engines
In the 1920s Barr & Stroud Ltd started offering
Computers
Barr and Stroud constructed the first computer to be built in Scotland, the pioneering SOLIDAC minicomputer for the University of Glasgow, assembled between 1958 and 1963 as an attempt to expand into electronics.[6]
Notes
- ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Campbell Douglas[page needed]
- ^ Archives of Barr and Stroud Archived 30 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Image of barr and stroud motorcycle engine, 1923. by Science & Society Picture Library". scienceandsociety.co.uk.
- ^ Motor Cycle, 20 April 1922.
- ^ RedLeg Interactive Media. "1924 Grindlay-Peerless 1000cc V-Twin - Classic Bike Guide - RealClassic.co.uk". realclassic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- S2CID 8073169.