ASVA E-ZINE

Welcome to the April 2024 edition of the ASVA E-Zine

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Iconic Image of Liner Goes from Pub Wall to Floor Show

March 2024

A striking image that was the toast of regulars at a St Andrews pub for decades is to resurface elsewhere in the town.

The linoleum mosaic of the celebrated ocean liner Queen Elizabeth – which adorned the former Britannia Hotel – features in an upcoming exhibition at St Andrews Museum.

Its pleasing lines, having once perked up the South Street hostelry’s bar, will now star in a show that celebrates Fife’s success as a global centre for linoleum production.

The handmade picture – most likely created in Fife between 1945 and 1960 – is one of many highlights in Flooring the World, which runs from 16 March to 1 September.

Exhibition curator Lily Barnes suspects the mosaic, which depicts the Clyde-built ship mid-Atlantic en route to New York, is based on a postcard or cigarette card.

The mosaic is one of two objects in the St Andrews show that did not feature in the exhibition’s previous run at Kirkcaldy Galleries. The other exhibit is a printing bench from the Kirkcaldy factory of floor covering manufacturer, Michael Nairn & Co.

Flooring the World showcases a fascinating array of objects linked to one of Scotland’s most enduring industrial success stories.

Displays feature products made in Kirkcaldy – and the villages of Falkland and Newburgh – which floored millions of homes, offices and public buildings at home and abroad.

Exhibits include one of the few surviving examples of linoleum created by the Victorian designer William Morris. The marigold-patterned print was Morris’s only linoleum design.

Also on show is a quirky miniature elephant, created by the influential sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi in the 1970s as part of a marketing campaign to boost linoleum sales.

A further attraction is a piece of congoleum – a felt-backed budget version of linoleum – which covered the hall of Paul McCartney’s childhood home in Liverpool.

Among the many exhibits being displayed for the first time are photographs, pattern books, catalogues, samples and workers’ tools.

Exhibition curator Lily Barnes said: “Linoleum is an integral part of Fife's history, and we are so excited to be able to share this story in St Andrews.”

This exhibition is the culmination of a two-year project that has been exploring the history of the Fife linoleum industry. It was funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, which is run by the Museums Association.

Flooring the World runs until Sunday1 October 2024.

Photograph: Flooring the World exhibition

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