1894, Onslow Ford

A statue of Sir William Pearce stands opposite the Pearce Institute in Govan. Locally, the statue is called `the Black Man` due to the colour of the tarnished bronze.

Pearce (1833-88) gained shipbuilding experience with Robert Napier and is best known for his stewardship of Fairfield shipbuilders (the Govan shipyard) in the 1870s and 1880s, during which time they built many world-class transatlantic liners. In 1885 he became Member of Parliament for Govan. He is also remembered in the city through his links with Glasgow University`s Pearce Lodge.

This article is based on the guidebook "The Glasgow Guide".

The statue depicts Pearce looking over drawings.