F2616

House flag, Ben Line Long Caption: The house flag of Ben Line, Edinburgh. A white rectangular flag with broad red border and a blue anchor in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached. The company was founded in 1825 by two brothers Alexander and William Thomson who set up as shipbrokers in Leith. Their family had a background in the building trade and marble importation. With a declining demand for marble, Thomsons' ships exported coal to Canada and imported timber. From the 1850s the company began to explore routes to the Far East. The company took delivery of their first steamer in 1871 shortly after the opening of the Suez Canal. From the 1860s, the trade in Canadian timber trade ceased to be economical and was replaced by a steamer trade to the Baltic; this side of the business continued until 1927. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Pope Collection Object: AAA0390 Artist: unknown Date: 1955-1967 Medium: wool; synthetic blend; cotton; machine sewn Size: 1422 mm x 2082 mm Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.