The photographs in this week’s trip down West Fife’s Memory Lane feature some of the linen mills that were once at the heart of this important Dunfermline industry.

The first image, a colourised photograph from 1925, is of a fire that destroyed the Caledonia Linen Works of 'Hay and Robertson' that was situated on Carnegie Street (now Carnegie Drive).

The photograph is taken from round the corner in Damside Street.

This area is now the site of Tesco and its adjoining car park. The building in the distance, constructed as a lodging house, still stands today on the corner of Chapel Street and the top of Bruce Street.

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‘Hay and Robertson’ were described in the 1914 edition of ‘Who’s Who in Business’ as being ‘Linen and Cotton Damask Manufacturers and Embroiderers with Specialities in Hem Stitching and Fancy Sewing’.

The national and international importance and popularity of Damask Linen produced in Dunfermline can be gauged from the list of agencies the company had operating at that time that included London, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, New York, Toronto, Adelaide and South Africa.

After the fire destroyed their Caledonia premises ‘Hay and Robertson’ bought over the Pilmuir Works just across the road from their main factory, the St Margaret’s Works.

Our next photograph, looking west along Foundry Street from Pilmuir Street, shows St Margaret’s Works on the right of the street and Pilmuir Works on the left.

Foundry Street from Pilmuir Street, showing St Margaret’s Works on the right of the street and Pilmuir Works on the left. Foundry Street from Pilmuir Street, showing St Margaret’s Works on the right of the street and Pilmuir Works on the left. (Image: Contributed)

The company built a bridge across Foundry Street to link their two buildings which became known locally as ‘The Bridge of Sighs’.

The bridge is still in existence today and the Pilmuir Works site, that was later bought by the Dunlop Rubber company, is currently being redeveloped by Edinburgh based Byzantium Developments to provide a mix of housing and retail units in the heart of Dunfermline.

The linen industry in Dunfermline provided work for many thousands of people and our next photograph shows some of those workers pictured alongside the internationally renowned Scottish singer and comedian Sir Harry Lauder, who in the early part of the 20th century was the highest paid performer in the world and the first British artist to sell a million records.

Scottish singer and comedian Sir Harry Lauder.Scottish singer and comedian Sir Harry Lauder. (Image: Contributed)

In advance of his appearance in Dunfermline he was indulging in an early form of marketing, knowing that many of the people he mixed with on his silk mill visit would be paying to see him perform later in the nearby Dunfermline Opera House.

Our final photograph shows the premises of ‘Winterthur Silks' in the 1940s which were situated just south of the Caledonia Linen Works in Damside Street (upper Bruce Street).

It opened in 1932 in the building that was the former mill at Canmore Works, and later gained national attention and recognition in 1947 when ‘Winterthur Silks’ were chosen to provide silk for the then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress, designed by Norman Hartnell. 'Thomson World of Furniture' also later used this building.

‘Winterthur Silks' in the 1940s which were situated just south of the Caledonia Linen Works in Damside Street (upper Bruce Street). ‘Winterthur Silks' in the 1940s which were situated just south of the Caledonia Linen Works in Damside Street (upper Bruce Street). (Image: Contributed)

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries as well as at facebook.com/olddunfermline.