ROBERTCUNNINGHAM0S0NS LTD.

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LONGBANK WORKS,ALVA,SCOTLAND .

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HE Directors of RobertCunningham & SonsLtd. feel that it is fittingwhen celebrating thefortieth anniversary ofthe firm to presentto their many friends

some memento of the occasion.They therefore ask your accept­ance of this little brochure inthe hope that it may interest you toknow something of the history anddevelopment of the business during

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~ , to their many friendssome memento of the occasion.They therefore ask your accept­ance of this little brochure inthe hope that it may interest you toknow something of the history anddevelopment of the business duringthe forty years of its existence. Atthe same time they would like toexpress thanks to their customers,

1

It was on the Glasgow Autumn Holidayof 1889 that a youth from that city, withfifteen years' experience of the printingtrade) and a determination to beginbusinessfor himself)first visited Alva. Soimpressed was he with the beautiful sur­roundings of the town, that he made uphis mind that it should be the scene ofhis future labours. This decision taken)arrangements were quickly completed,and on 11th November he opened hisshop at 176 Stirling Street, naming it" Alva Printing Office."

The venture had a modest beginning, foriftfpresseawas:ne--{villil lheLbeail1:fiUCsur:roundings of the town, that he made uphis mind that it should be the scene ofhis future labours. This decision taken)arrangements were quickly completed,and on 11th November he opened hisshop at 176 Stirling Street, naming it" Alva Printing Office."

The venture had a modest beginning, forthe plant consisted only of a hand-pressand a platen machine. But the businessquickly grew, and a few months later amove was made to more central premises

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The work to keep the increased plantrunning came not only from Alva, butfrom other towns in the district, andas buyers found that the quality of theproduct was reliable, the turnover con­tinued to grow. In 1898 the printingpart of the business was removed toLongbank Works, originally a weavingshop, which provided, for the time beingat least, ample room for expansion.

In 1899 a local weekly newspaper, " TheHillfoots Record," was inaugurated, andthis, with an interval during the war, hasbeen published ever since. Further de­velopments necessitated the introduction- ~ ~

part of the business was removed toLongbank Works, originally a weavingshop, which provided, for the time beingat least, ample room for expansion.

In 1899 a local weekly newspaper, " TheHillfoots Record," was inaugurated, andthis, with an interval during the war, hasbeen published ever since. Further de­velopments necessitated the introductionof other plant, including bindingmachinery and larger letterpress machines,and before long the factory, once toolaroe . was becornino con oesrerl . Tn 1<)07

extended in 1910. Shortly after, paper­ruling was added to the activities of thebusiness. In 1911 "Monotype" machineswere installed, and in 1913 the lithographicplant was augmented with one of thefirst rotary offset machines in Scotland.Work was now coming from manydifferent sources, quite a number oforders being received regularly fromcustomers in London. Just as thingsseemed very prosperous, however, camethe outbreak of war, and within a fewweeks more than half the male staff hadgone on active service.

The war period is too familiar to us all

Work was now coming from manydifferent sources, quite a number oforders being received regularly fromcustomers in London. Just as thingsseemed very prosperous, however, camethe outbreak of war, and within a fewweeks more than half the male staff hadgone on active service.

The war period is too familiar to us allto need description. Longbank Workssuffered from the same difficulties as allother businesses, but they managed to\cppn orrin o ~nrl to c:~tic:fv thpir r nc:tomprc:

bringing the entire plant thoroughlyup-to-date, and in the years that followedgreat changes were made. Nearly allthe letterpress machines were replacedwith newer models, and automatic feederswere introduced. There were additionsto the paper-ruling and binding plant,some of this machinery being the first ofits kind in Scotland. The lithographicdepartment was equipped with two newrotary offset presses. Two extensiveadditions were made to the premises,doubling the amount of floor-space avail­able. In 1925 the business was formedinto a Limited Company, the Directors. . -- _.. -- ... - -were introduced. There were additionsto the paper-ruling and binding plant,some of this machinery being the first ofits kind in Scotland. The lithographicdepartment was equipped with two newrotary offset presses. Two extensiveadditions were made to the premises,doubling the amount of floor-space avail­able. In 1925 the business was formedinto a Limited Company, the Directorsbeing Mr. Robert Cunningham, Mr.Gilbert F. Cunningham and Mr. John P.- . .

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who desired expert publicity service, andthe printing in connection with this wasdone at Alva. This business also in­creased very considerably, and in 1922it was reconstituted as Marshall Adver­tising Service Ltd., the Directors beingthe Board of Robert Cunningham & SonsLtd. and Mr. H . S. Marshall, The twoCompanies have joint offices at 150Southampton Row, W.e., where an ex­tensive service in the provision of modernadvertising designs, the preparation ofselling literature of every kind, and theplanning of publicity campaigns is given,with the ass!stance of an ~~equate studioit was reconstituted as Marshall Adver­tising Service Ltd., the Directors beingthe Board of Robert Cunningham & SonsLtd . and Mr. H . S. Marshall, The twoCompanies have joint offices at 150Southampton Row, W.e., where an ex­tensive service in the provision of modernadvertising designs, the preparation ofselling literature of every kind, and theplanning of publicity campaigns is given,with the assistance of an adequate studio

ROBERT CUNNINGHAM & SONS LTD.AND

MARSH ALL ADVERTISING SERVICE LTD.

Spenalisls inHigh-GradeLetterpress and Ulhographi&

" Printing of everydesmption; Calalogl#s,Boolelets,Folders,Show&ards,Posters,

BesinessStationery,el&.

RegisteredOffi&eand Works :

LoNGBANK WORKS, ALVA, SCOTLAND.

LONDON:

ISO SOt.TI'H.UIPTON Row, W.C.I.

MANCHESTER:

CROW FORD HOUSE, CROWFORD Co URT.

GLASGOW :

19 Blythswood Square, C. 2.