Items recovered from 1859 tragic Ayrshire shipwreck to go on display at museum

Daily Record

06-06-2025

The SS Eagle is seen as an unprecedented example of an almost intact cargo of 19th century Glaswegian ceramics.
A collection of rare 19th century ceramics recovered from the wreck of the 1857 iron steamship SS Eagle off Lamlash Bay, Arran, last year, will go on display for the first time in the Scottish Maritime Museum's Summer exhibition which opens tomorrow.
The 'Beneath the Waves' exhibition, which goes on show in the museum's Linthouse building on Irvine Harbourside, brings together the historic ceramic collection, award-winning underwater photography and an artist's detailed marine sketches to celebrate the extraordinary world beneath the ocean's surface.
The SS Eagle launched from the Dumbarton yard of Alexander Denny in July 1857. The 324 tonne steamer was acquired by the McConnel and Laird Line of Glasgow in June 1859 for service as a passenger and cargo vessel.
Just five months later, on November 28, 1859, SS Eagle sank after colliding with a sailing boat, the Pladda, whilst en route from Glasgow to Londonderry with a general cargo, two hundred sheep and fifty four passengers. Eleven lives were lost.
The SS Eagle ceramics, which were discovered by Oban-based diver and maritime explorer Graeme Bruce and team in July 2024, were made by Glasgow-based Bell's Pottery.
Bell's Pottery was established by brothers John and Matthew Perston Bell in late 1840 or 1841. The site at the corner of Stafford Street and Pulteney Street was close to the Forth & Clyde Canal which was used to transport goods and raw materials.
According to the Scottish Pottery Society, Bell's Pottery export wares have been found as far afield as South America, the Far East, Australia and Canada.
The last piece of Bell's Pottery was probably made around 1912.
In the 19th century, Glasgow was a major centre for the production of ceramics and rivalled the Staffordshire potteries. Bell's Pottery itself is recognised as arguably the most internationally significant producer of ceramic wares in Scotland at the time.
The lack of surviving pottery from Glasgow's industrial ceramics period, which spanned three centuries from 1748 to the mid 1980's, makes the SS Eagle's ceramic tableware nationally significant.
The SS Eagle collection features ceramics destined for trade and exhibition in Londonderry, Northern Island, and artefacts from the ship's galley.
Exhibits include seven plates and a bowl, a teapot lid and two bottles which still hold 'sparkling water' in addition to a decanter and bell.
Complementing the SS Eagle ceramics, 'Beneath the Waves' also features cups and plates from the Scottish Maritime Museum's own national maritime heritage collection as well as four vessels dating back to the Roman Empire on loan from North Ayrshire Heritage Centre.
Eva Bukowska, Exhibitions and Events Officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, said: "We are really excited to host the first showing of these fascinating ceramics recovered from SS Eagle. The vessel also has a significance for the Museum as it was built by Alexander Denny, who was the brother of William Denny, whose test tank is now home to our second collection in Dumbarton."
Graeme Bruce added: "Diving has been my great passion for 35 years. For me, a shipwreck is a 'time capsule' hidden from view over time by the sea. The privilege of being able to explore and connect with the past is beyond description. Enabling the artefacts from shipwrecks like this Bell's Pottery collection to then have a new life on show for everyone to learn from and appreciate is so important. Connecting people with a heritage like this means everything to me and those I dive with."
'Beneath the Waves' exhibition has been curated in collaboration with renowned underwater photographer, marine conservationist and writer Lawson Wood; diver, maritime explorer and retired engineer Graeme Bruce; and Ayrshire underwater artist and writer Christina Riley.
In the exhibition, Lawson Wood, who enjoyed his first scuba dive aged 11 years, draws on 60 years of underwater photography. His images reveal the captivating world of marine life and range from colourful tropical fish and seals to corals and anemones.
Christina Riley's work focuses on the small details of complex and beautiful marine ecosystems. The exhibition features a selection of photographs and pencil drawings created during her time as a snorkelling-artist-in-residence at the Argyll Hope Spot.
Part of the global Mission Blue initiative led by the renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, the Hope Spots project highlights areas critical to the health of the ocean. Other Hope Spots include the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.
Visitors can also learn more about freediving and how this ancient practice has advanced our understanding of marine archaeology and conservation.
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'Beneath the Waves' runs from Saturday, June 7 to Saturday, September 13.
Admission to 'Beneath the Waves' is included in Museum admission.
The museum is open daily from 10am until 5pm. Up to three children go FREE with each Adult/Concession ticket.