134

Rosemount Viaduct, showing the William Wallace statue, the South Church and the Central Library, c.1900 prior to the building of His Majesty's Theatre.

138

His Majesty's Theatre on Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. Buses line the street outside the building. A summer line up of Aberdeen registered touring buses together with their smartly turned out drivers can be seen standing outside His Majesty's Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct sometime in the 1930's. The destination of some of the vehicles include Lossiemouth and Killiekrankie. The fine ionic columned building to the left of the image was originally known as the South United Free Church, later known as St Marks Church, with the Central Library adjacent.

154

Union Terrace looking towards Rosemount Viaduct. On the left is St Mark's Church and on the right His Majesty's Theatre. In front of the theatre is the statue of William Wallace with Prince Albert at the left.

217

Rosemount Viaduct looking towards the Triple Kirks and the statue of William Wallace. The row of buses are probably waiting for a performance at His Majesty's Theatre to finish.

239

The illuminated facade of His Majesty's Theatre and St. Mark's Church from Union Terrace Gardens.

399

Guild Street looking towards the harbour. On the left hand side of the road is the facade of Her Majesty's Theatre built in 1872. It was renamed the Tivoli in 1910. It was a popular theatre and many well-known performers appeared on its stage including W. C. Fields, Tony Hancock and Andy Stewart. The Tivoli became a bingo hall in 1966 and finally closed its doors in 1997. However, following refurbishment, the Tivoli reopened in 2013. The Criterion Bar is on the left of the photograph and the old Goods Station is on the right.

413

View of His Majesty's Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. Note the Wallace Statue on the left.

458

The school was opened in August 1899 on Great Northern Road with space for 1100 eager to learn pupils! It was built by a popular Aberdeen builder named John Morgan who amongst other things also built the Caledonian Hotel, King Street School, some churches and the statue of William Wallace which stands opposite His Majesty's Theatre. In the early days, students would have had to learn in a building with no heating and only outdoor toilets.

476

His Majesty's Theatre on Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. c.1999.

505

The old channel of the River Dee. After years of discussion about the development of the harbour, the Aberdeen Harbour Act of 1868 allowed the Harbour Commissioners to divert the river to the south. The first turf was cut by Lord Provost Leslie on 22nd December 1869.

692

This view taken about 1884 shows the railway line which runs north from the Joint Station through the Denburn Valley. The Denburn ran as an open burn throughout this area with bleaching greens next to it, until the railway was constructed in 1865-7, when the burn was covered over and the greens removed. In the late 1870's, Union Terrace Gardens was laid out next to the railway, and it was sometimes referred to as the 'Trainie Park'. The bandstand has long since been removed. The iron footbridge on granite supports which allowed access across the gardens from Schoolhill to Union Terrace was replaced by Schoolhill Viaduct in 1886/7. This created a site for His Majesty's Theatre, South UF Church, and Aberdeen Public Library.

803

Rosemount Viaduct from Union Terrace Gardens. St. Mark's Church and the Central Library are on the left with the statue of William Wallace pointing towards the site of His Majesty's Theatre.

818

In 1766, the Town Council of Aberdeen acquired a property known as the Earl Marischal's Lodging which had laid unoccupied for a number of years. It was then demolished to allow a street to be built to create improved access between the harbour and the Castlegate. It was named Marischal Street in his honour. This view of the west side shows the properties at No 46 and 48 and an adjacent church. William Kennedy (1759-1836), advocate, lived in No. 46, where he wrote his two volume history of the city - Annals of Aberdeen. Next door at No. 48 was the home of Dr William Dyce, father of the eminent artist William Dyce (1806-1864). Both of these properties have now been converted into flats. The church shown on the left was built in 1881 on the site of the Theatre Royal built in 1795. It closed as a theatre in 1872 prior to the opening of Her Majesty's Theatre and Opera House (Tivoli) in Guild Street. This building is now occupied by the Elim Pentecostal Church.

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His Majesty's Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen.

1051

Bydand Motor Transport Co. Ltd. were one of a number of small bus companies which sprang up in the 1920's, and were based at the Western Garage on Great Western Road, Aberdeen. Many service men had learned to drive in the army during the First World War, and vehicle manufacturers were keen to supply new markets. Bydand announced in the 'Aberdeen Press and Journal' on 23rd May 1925 that they were to introduce a 'Deeside Motor Bus Service'. They offered a regular weekday half hourly service of buses between Aberdeen (Wallace Statue) and Bieldside with less frequent late buses and a Sunday service between Mannofield and Bieldside only. Buses were also to run between Aberdeen, Culter and Banchory. The fare from Aberdeen to Bieldside was 4p; Aberdeen to Culter was 8p; Aberdeen to Banchory was 1 shilling and sixpence. Within a few weeks, Bydand were extoling the virtues of their service in an advert headed 'Safety First'. The company made much of the fact that their buses started from His Majesty's Theatre and passed other theatres enroute. It was even possible to reserve a seat on the Banchory Bus when booking seats at His Majesty's Theatre. During the summer months Sunday Mystery Tours were advertised - a 60-70 mile trip for 5 shillings return. The 1930 Road Traffic Act introduced various restrictions and many small companies were taken over by the expanding company of W. Alexander and Sons Ltd. The 13 Bydand buses were transferred on 3rd October 1932.

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The vestibule of His Majesty's Theatre, with the Box Office to right of the centre. This fine provincial theatre was opened on 3rd December 1906 to a design by Frank Matcham. By 1927, the fortunes of the theatre were at a low ebb. In an effort to publicise the building nationally, a pictorial article appeared in a glossy weekly entitled "A Model Theatre". The vestibule's black and white marbled floor provides a striking entrance, as does the polished wood surrounds. The ceiling itself consisted of a series of pre-fabricated panels. In the centre is the curtained doorway, taking the visitor into the "posh" seats.

1146

Blacksmiths in the smiddy at Dunecht. This shop appears to have been fairly busy, employing as it did, 3 blacksmiths. They were called upon for all sorts of metal related jobs. All the tools of the trade can be noted, including 2 anvils for hammering and a main furnace (centre of picture). All 3 blacksmiths are seen here wearing leather aprons, which protected them from the hot flying sparks. No industrial glasses were in use however at this time, and the traditional flat bonnet is still the norm. Silver City Vault user David Christie has identified the blacksmith on the left as James Stephenson Smith, his great grandfather. David explains that Smith worked as a blacksmith for Dunecht Estate from 1925 to 1929 and so this dates the photograph to this period. His great grandfather also worked at other properties belonging to the estate, such as renovations of Dunnottar Castle. Smith had to give up working as a Blacksmith after breaking his leg in a fall while working there. He subsequently worked as a driver for the Dunecht Garage, which ran buses at the time, and later for the W. Alexander & Sons bus operating firm. There is an article about this image by Hilary Simpson in the Evening Express of 17 September 1986. It details the memories of readers Margaret Skene and John Gray. Margaret's grandfather was Alexander Innes, the figure in the middle. On the right is Bill Innes, a son of Alexander. They are said to have run the smiddy with the assistance of James Smith. The article also explains that the image was originally a postcard. One of a series detailing the various trades active on the Dunecht estate of Lord Cowdray. (Many thanks to David for getting in touch and providing additional information and making us aware of the newspaper article.)

1154

The stage of His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen showing the op fly floor and hemp lines. This photograph was taken just prior to closure for renovation.

1155

The prompt corner at His Majesty's Theatre during renovations.

1156

The PayBox in the foyer of His Majesty's during the renovations.

1157

The new grid being installed at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.

1158

The base of the old revolving stage at His Majesty's Theatre, prior to renovation. The revolve still exists, but has been covered over by the management.

1159

The foyer to His Majesty's Theatre during renovations.

1160

The Dress Circle at His Majesty's Theatre during renovations.