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Demolition of Torry Brickworks chimney
310 A photograph of the demolition of the largest of the chimney stalks at the Torry brick and tile works that took place on Saturday 12th September 1903.
The photograph illustrates the method employed to fall the 175 foot structure, by the overseer Peter Tawse, as described in the Press & Journal:
"The preliminary work of cutting a gap in the chimney near the base was early accomplished by three of the skilled tunnellers employed by Mr Tawse at the Girdleness outfall sewer. As the gap widened, stout wooden props were put in to support the structure. The gap was carried to more than half the circumference of the chimney, and the sight of the weighty pile supported on one side by only a half-dozen wooden props was certainty sufficient to make one nervous. The gang was under the charge of a Lancashire foreman, and they worked away, pipe in mouth, quite unconcernedly.
"The gap having been completed, a charge of dynamite was inserted at the bottom of the props, and a time fuse attached to each.
"Excitement reached a high pitch among the spectators when the signal was given to fire the fuses, and the crowd began to edge further away when the smoke was seen curling round the props, and as the workmen bolted to get beyond the danger zone. First one charge and then the other exploded with a sharp report, but it was not until the props at the extreme ends of the half circles were blown to splinters, that the chimney showed any sign of moving. It then came down, as a spectator remarked, - 'Jist like a rum'le o' bricks.' It slid rather than fell straight down at first, but the top portion toppled over in a south-easternly direction, exactly on the line expected by the contractor. It was all over in a couple of seconds, and certainly it was a sensational sight - so quick, so clear, so safe."
P&J, 14/09/1903, page 6. Treasure 34: A Selection of Original Scots Songs in Three Parts
2322 Although the union of the Parliaments between Scotland and England had taken place almost a hundred years before, as the 18th century was drawing to a close there was still much fascination regarding the differing cultures. In time, Victorian society would give this fascination a renewed vigour, helped by Queen Victoria's passion for Scotland - including the establishment of Balmoral Castle as her residence North of the border. Before that time though, in the late 1790s, books were produced offering English readers an insight into their neighbours' traditions.
One such book was entitled 'A selection of original Scots songs' edited by Franz Haydn and published between 1790 and 1794. The book is designed to introduce the reader to the music and lyrics of traditional songs in Scotland. Haydn's book reproduced the songs along with corresponding music, and also offered a glossary to help with the more obscure language.
Burns' song 'My Heart's In The Highlands' - more popularly regarded today as a poem - makes an appearance in the selected works by Franz Haydn. With the collected works produced between 1790 - 1794, this was at a time when Burns began to suffer from the illnesses which would eventually end his life just a couple of years later.
Robert Burns
Celebrated across Scotland every year, Robert Burns Day takes place on 25 January and is an opportunity to remember Scotland's Bard and his work. Known the world over as the National Poet of Scotland, Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) was born in Alloway, Ayrshire. Burns' early life was one of balance; he toiled on his family's farm by day, and was taught reading and writing by candlelight at night. He conversed in Scots, while learning passages from English texts to further his studies. Although regarded by history largely as a poet, Burns also composed many songs - perhaps his most famous work 'Auld Lang Syne' being one of the few traditionally remembered in song form. One of our treasures this month celebrates Robert Burns' work and that of many other traditional Scottish musicians. Aberdeen Cinemas: Coliseum / New Kinema / Belmont
3433 An Aberdeen Journals Archive image of the Belmont Cinema in 1952.
The building that now houses the Belmont Filmhouse was originally built in 1896 as a Trades Hall to a design by architects Alexander Ellis and Robert Gordon Wilson.
The grey granite ashlar entrance at 49-51 Belmont Street leads to the main building, best seen from Union Terrace and Rosemount Viaduct. With multiple floors, the building makes full use of the different levels of the Denburn valley. Historic Environmental Scotland's statement of special interest for the building notes its tall and narrow design and bartizan towers at its far end, describing it as "a distinctive piece of architecture."
Michael Thomson explains that the Trades Hall provided much needed accommodation for meetings, social events and lectures. The main hall originally featured ceiling paintings by Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950), who went on to become an acclaimed stained-glass artist.
The construction of the hall was an ambitious and costly undertaking for Aberdeen's labour movement. This led to the hall being increasingly rented out for commercial performances, including cinematographic showings.
William Walker, a local cinematographic pioneer who was also a successful bookseller, leased out the building's main hall as a picture house. The Coliseum was opened on 22 August 1910 by Messrs Walker and Company and so began the building's long life as a cinema.
In July 1911 Glasgow's J. J. Bennell took over control of the Coliseum. Popular features of the venue during Walker and Bennell's time included short "topicals" that documented local life and live variety acts. Thomson explains that Bennell was also a pioneer of Saturday morning matinees for children.
In August 1913 Dove Paterson, another local pioneer who had opened Aberdeen's first permanent cinema on Shiprow, took over at the Coliseum. Paterson died unexpectedly in May 1916 and this brought a temporary halt to the Coliseum cinema. It briefly reopened in December of that year under the management of the Trades Hall, but this only lasted a couple of months before the cinema closed again.
The cinema was then managed by veteran singer D. Brown McGill, who made use of his established contacts in variety circles. His tenure saw the venue complementing its programme of film showings with a range of other entertainments including roller skating, boxing and dancing.
On 11th April 1921 the cinema reopened as the New Kinema, under the management of Henry Philips, who had previously run the Picturedrome on Skene Terrace. One interesting performer at the venue in 1929 noted by Michael Thomson was an illusionist called Carletta who conjured up rabbits to give away to patrons as pets.
In 1935 the then proprietors of the New Kinema, James Brebner and George Walker, were involved in the formation of the Caledonian Theatre public company. It was formed to purchase the site of the La Scala cinema and nearby buildings on Union Street with the intention of building a new super-cinema. In time this would become the Majestic.
June 1935 saw the renovation of the New Kinema and renewal of its heating plant, lighting and sound equipment. It reopened as The Belmont on the 24th of that month.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Cullerlie Stone circle
4220 A photograph looking north west from Cullerlie Stone Circle at sunset. A house on the road towards Garlogie can be seen in the background.
The stone circle is located approximately 11 miles west of Aberdeen. Not far south from the Loch of Skene.
Aberdeenshire Council's leaflet The Stone Circle Trail (2022) describes Cullerlie as follows:
"Restored Stone Circle, comprising circa 10 m in diameter. Within the stone circle, 8 small kerb cairns were added which when excavated contained burnt bone, charcoal, flint tools and pottery. The central cairn is the largest, at 3.4 m in diameter, and is the only one to have a double kerb. This stone circle is seen as a later development of the Recumbent Stone Circle tradition."
Historic Environment Scotland's website suggests the stone circle may be around 4,000 years old. It describes Cullerlie as "an unusual site, with few parallels. However it may be best regarded as a rare survival of what once may have been a type of monument common in the lowlands of north-east Scotland."
This photograph likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It comes from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department Anna Shepherd
225 Anna Shepherd, also known as Nan, was a Scottish novelist and poet. Born on February 11th 1893, she was also well-known in educational circles in Aberdeen.
We are able to trace her using Census records held at Aberdeen Central Library. Here is an extract of the 1901 Census. Aged 8, Anna Shepherd was listed as living in a house called "Dunvegan", in the village of Cults, part of the civil parish of Peterculter. She lived there with her parents, John Shepherd, aged 48, and Jane Smith Shepherd, aged 36. Her brother, Francis John, was 10 years old. Her grand-mother Ann Shepherd used to live with the family too. A domestic, Isabella Gordon, aged 19, is also listed as part of the household.
Aberdeen Central Library holds Census returns from 1841 to 1901 on microfilm.
Treasure 73: Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language, 1895
275 Our treasure for the month of September looks at the person responsible for collating the first dictionary of the Scottish language. Born in Glasgow in 1759, John Jamieson was the son of a Scottish minister. Following his father's path, Jamieson studied theology and became pastor of a congregation at Forfar, Angus in 1781.
Alongside his ecclesiastical work, Jamieson developed a passionate interest in the development and study of language - philology. In Forfar, Jamieson briefly met Grimur Thorkelin, the National Archivist of Denmark who was in Britain researching the links between Danish and English. Thorkelin's chief legacy was the transcription and publication of the epic medieval poem, Beowulf.
From conversation with Thorklein, Jamieson set himself upon the task of recording those words he felt were exclusive to Scotland. It would be twenty years before his lifetime's work, The Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language would be published.
Subsequent revisions, amendments and abridgements refined Jamieson's original work - refuting some claims of Gothic origin, and proposing others. Our treasure is one of the revised editions of Jamieson's original work - a later edition from 1895.
View the Treasures from our Collection interactive exhibition on the touchscreen in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries to find out more about John Jamieson and his work.
Treasure 118: Aberdeen Harbour Plans
341 On display is a map of the harbour area which would have been used as part of Aberdeen's Air Raid Precautions (ARP) during World War Two. Essential locations such as telephone boxes, police stations, air raid shelters and first aid posts are all marked on the map in red circles.
In 1937 as part of the preparations for the major conflict that was about to follow the government created an Air Raid Warden's Service which would cover the whole of Britain. The City Warden Service operated in four divisions, each with a commander in charge and separate headquarters. The divisions were further divided into groups and then again divided into sectors with a number of wardens patrolling each sector. The wardens working in the nine sectors in the harbour area were controlled by the harbour commissioners. During the war, air raid wardens were required to enforce the blackout; help people into air raid shelters; issue gas masks; administer first aid; put out small fires and record bomb damage. Air raid wardens were usually local and their knowledge of the neighbourhood was vital.
Aberdeen was the most frequently bombed city in Scotland during World War Two and the harbour with its close physical links to the railways and associated industries of shipbuilding and fishing became a prime target for enemy attacks.
To see some more maps and plans documenting the history of one of Britain's oldest ports, check out our interactive exhibition on the touchscreen! Wallace Nook
361 An old print from about 1840 showing the Wallace Nook on Netherkirkgate accompanied by a William Cadenhead poem. Private John M'Pherson
428 The front cover of a copy of Private John M'Pherson by Elsie S. Rae. It was a WWI poem written largely in Doric and first published in December 1917 by the Aberdeen Daily Journal Office. |