Archibald Barr and
William Stroud had been associated from as early as 1888 when the two men were professors of, respectively, engineering and physics at the Yorkshire College (now the
University of Leeds). In 1891, they were approached by the
Admiralty to submit a design for a short-base rangefinder for trial. By this time, Barr had returned to Scotland and taken the Regius Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics post at the
University of Glasgow. Although apart, Barr and Stroud kept in close touch and in 1892 they were awarded with a contract for six of their rangefinders. In 1895, Barr & Stroud's Patents Ltd was renting workshop space near the university, at 250
Byres Road, Glasgow, but demand for the product soon necessitated a move to larger premises in
Ashton Lane, Glasgow. By 1904, 100 men were working for the company in a new purpose-built factory in
Anniesland, Glasgow designed by
Campbell Douglas. Shortly thereafter, in 1909, Stroud resigned his chair at the University of Leeds and moved to Glasgow to work for the company full-time. Barr, in spite of a distinguished teaching career at Glasgow University, followed his example in 1913. Together they formed Barr & Stroud Ltd. that year. In 1914, they began extensions to the Anniesland works in order to meet the sharp increase in demand for their rangefinders that followed on the outbreak of the First World War. The war years saw the development of other products, including a torpedo depth recorder, a periscope rangefinder,
fire-control systems and a dome sight for aircraft. During World War I there was a problem with the supply of binoculars to the armed forces and apart from the British makers, binoculars were bought in from various sources. So it was only natural that the military would be looking to rectify this problem. At the time
Zeiss was probably the leading makers and the military thought this may cause a problem in the future. Barr & Stroud, this book published on the occasion of centenary of the Barr & Stroud has a picture showing these two professors in the roof of Royston the residence of Professor Archibald Barr in Glasgow testing their production and invention. Royston is now called 10 Crown Road North Glasgow G12 9DH. Archibald Barr's family later gifted Royston to Glasgow University and it has since been the residence of Professor John Lamb of the Engineering School and later of Professor Sayed Hassan Amin. It was c.1919 when the company started producing their first binoculars which were supplied to the British Navy and from then on the company continued to operate independently until c.1977 when they were taken over by the
Pilkington Group. In 1992 operations moved from the original factory in Anniesland to a new plant in
Lint house on the site of the former
Alexander Stephen and Sons shipyard. In 2000 the company became a subsidiary of the French company,
Thales Group, and in 2001 Barr & Stroud Ltd became Thales Optronics Ltd. The Barr and Stroud brand name was then bought by
Eastleigh-based Optical Distribution Services Ltd, who re-registered as Barr and Stroud Ltd in 2008. The new company has developed a new range of binoculars and telescopes. The new range of Barr & Stroud binoculars are currently made in China (Nov. 2011) and distributed by Optical Vision Ltd and have no connection whatsoever with Barr & Stroud Ltd of Glasgow. ==Aircraft Gunsights==