Floor cloth incorporating the National Hospital logo
Image credit: ‘Fife Cultural Trust, on behalf of Fife Council’.
This floor cloth is displayed as part of the Scottish design gallery at the V&A Dundee.
There is currently no definite provenance but it was probably made around 1880 in Kirkcaldy, traditionally famous for linoleum.
Floor cloths are made of layers of material and paint on canvas, rather less hard wearing than lino but also much used in hospitals as easy to clean.
These floor cloths were made by 7 firms in Kirkcaldy from the 1840s into the 20th century - the most likely firms were Michael Nairn and Company and John Barry Ostler and Company.