Robert Muirhead

Robert Muirhead, House Furnishing and General Ironmonger, 60, Renfield Street.—

    This business was established in 1881. The proprietor holds a large and varied stock of articles required for the warming, lighting, and general domestic arrangements of residential or business premises.

    Stoves and ranges are exhibited in every variety, from the plainest to the most costly description, and suitable for every purpose. In kitchen ranges there are Dow’s patent “Simplex,” “Unique”, and other convertible ranges, which combine all the advantages of both the close and open fire range. These can be fitted with high-pressure boilers and all the connections for the supply of hot water throughout the house. Of oil heating stoves Mr. Muirhead has a large array, more especially of the “Eclipse” and “Cheerful” patterns of Messrs. Wright and Butler’s patent. These are of all sizes, and being portable are suitable for many purposes and places for which a coal fire would be unavailable.

    The lamps exhibited in Mr. Muirhead’s warerooms permit of the greatest range of choice, both as to style, material, or description. For the “Beige” lamp, exhibited on his stand (No. 185) at the Burnbank Industrial Exhibition in 1887, he was awarded the silver medal.

    One of the most recent novelties introduced by the house is the “Ovifer,” a patented appliance for the safe carriage of eggs, which is especially worthy of notice. Each egg is held as it were by three fingers formed of small wire springs, and though readily extracted or replaced is gripped so tightly that the tray containing them may be turned upside down with impunity. The invention is now supplied in a variety of forms, for use on shipboard, in farms, and in the household.

    Another valuable invention introduced to Glasgow by Mr. Muirhead is the “Matchless” self-lighting gas burner. This, by always retaining a tiny flame of gas within a small metal or mica lantern, is instantly available for full light without the need of searching for or the risk involved by the use of the ordinary matches. It received the highest award at the Edinburgh International Exhibition of 1886, and has been greatly patronised by the members of the medical profession and others. With a stock which includes gas burners of every kind, artistic ironmongery of every description, Salopian decorative art pottery, deed boxes and Milner’s safes, gaseliers, lanterns, and lawn mowers, cutlery, nickel and electro silver goods, Mr. Muirhead may truly be looked upon in the light of a “Universal Provider”, and as such deserves prominent notice in any account of modern Glasgow.