Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Lost Kilmarnock" by Frank Beattie is a fascinating and evocative book that brings back to life much that has been lost in the development of Ayrshire's largest town, mainly over the period since photography came into use. It's more usual to see books of "then" and "now" photographs showing scenes back in the day and how they appear to modern eyes. In this book you get the "then" images, with the emphasis on subjects that are no longer there. This means you need to know Kilmarnock fairly well to appreciate the context of many of the photographs; but on the other hand it does mean that twice as many subjects are covered.

The author has written a two-page introduction and then it's straight into the photographs, usually two to a page with detailed captions setting out the background to what you can see, and often charting the subject's demise. The images are both monochrome and colour and, while most are photographs, some drawings and paintings have also been used. The book is divided into chapters looking at Lost Streets; Lost Industries; Lost Transport; At Your Service; Lost Buildings; Sport and Leisure; and Commerce. The result is essential reading/viewing for anyone living in, or from Kilmarnock: or with roots in the area.

You get a sense of the breadth of content from the publisher's description: "Kilmarnock is the largest town in Ayrshire and a major centre for the west of Scotland. It expanded hugely during the Industrial Revolution and in recent decades has rebuilt itself extensively, streets and structures built by Victorian planners being replaced with new shopping areas and buildings. Many of the manufacturing industries which had characterised Kilmarnock have closed in this period, from locomotive engineering, carpet making and agricultural machinery with Massey Ferguson, to Saxone shoes and Johnnie Walker whisky. The town has had to generate a new economy in recent years with the centre and housing areas being redeveloped. Lost Kilmarnock presents a portrait of this town in Ayrshire over the last century to recent decades that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not only industries and buildings that have gone but also people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Kilmarnock will appeal to all those who live in the area or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades."