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University of Edinburgh Collections
Browse Salvesen Collection

The history of the firm of Christian Salvesen goes back to 1851 when Christian Salvesen arrived in Leith and set up in business as a shipowner and broker. Two years later he joined the Edinburgh merchant George Vair Turnbull, continuing in partnership with him until he went solo in 1872. Three of his sons, Thomas, Frederick and Theodor joined him in the business; the fourth, Edward, preferred a legal career which began with a law degree from the University of Edinburgh, and which culminated in his elevation to the College of Justice and the Bench as The Hon. Lord Salvesen (1857-1942).

The archives of Christian Salvesen Ltd were surveyed by the National Register of Archives (Scotland) 1968 and deposited with the University Library in 1969, with several tranches of additional material coming in later years. "A List of the Archives of Messrs Christian Salvesen Limited deposited in Edinburgh University Library" was compiled by Tom Hubbard on a grant from the firm, and was published by the Library in 1981; copies are available for consultation in the Special Collections Department. Histories of the firm held in the Library include "Salvesen of Leith", by Wray Vamplew (Edinburgh & London: Scottish Academic Press, 1975) and "A whaling enterprise: Salvesen in the Antarctic", by Sir Gerald Elliot (Wilby, Norwich [U.K.]: Michael Russell, 1998), both of which have been presented to the Library. Sir Gerald Elliot, Chairman of Christian Salvesen plc from 1981 to 1988, has also presented to the Library a collection of historic books on whaling in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic.

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