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Denburn Valley
48 The Denburn Valley Railway, shown here on the right, was constructed in 1865-67. It runs from the Joint Station at Guild Street north through the valley. To the left of the railway lines is Union Terrace Gardens which were opened to the public on 11th August 1879.
The closeness of the railway led to the gardens being nicknamed the "Trainie Park". The bandstand shown here in the centre of the park was removed in around 1931.
The iron footbridge visible in this image allowed access over the Denburn and railway between Rosemount and the city centre. It was replaced by the Denburn Viaduct which was built in 1886, at the same time as Rosemount Viaduct, by engineer William Boulton. Part of the footbridge was moved and reassembled in the newly created Duthie Park.
This image also predates the construction of significant buildings on Rosemount Viaduct such as the Public Library and the Free South Church (both dating from 1892). In the background, on the left of the image can be seen the houses at the foot of a then longer Skene Terrace. These are on the site later occupied by the library and church.
To the right of those houses are Black's Buildings. Local historian Diane Morgan explains that they were "a small curving crescent of tall tenements, four and five storeys high, [and] sat below the Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill, just west of the apex of the Woolmanhill triangle. (...) The houses were built in stages between 1789 and 1830, by the wine merchant James Black." (Lost Aberdeen: Aberdeen's lost architectural heritage, 2004). The tenements were pulled down in 1957.
Woolmanhill Hospital, designed by Archibald Simpson and built 1832-1838, can be seen in the background. Chimneys of Broadford Works, the textile factory located between Ann Street, Maberly Street and Hutcheon Street, are also visible. Aberdeen Grammar School
105 Aberdeen Grammar School, Skene Street, c.1860. This view shows the school which was built by Aberdeen Town Council in Skene Street and opened in October 1863 to replace the old school in Schoolhill. In later years, a statue of Lord Byron was placed in front of the school to commemorate the fact that he attended the old Grammar School in the 1790s. The walls in the foreground indicate where the Denburn used to flow before it was covered over. In July 1986, much of the central area of the school, including the library, was severely damaged by fire and some valuable material was lost. Rebuilding was completed by 1992. H. Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders
281 H. Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders leaving Culter for War Service. August 6th 1914 Union Bridge c. 1863
373 Union Bridge c. 1863 before the construction of Bridge Street in 1865/7, looking north.
Correspondent Ed Fowler has provided the following further information on the image:
The pantiled cottages in the left foreground were occupied by handloom weavers who in the early 19th century worked for the cotton factory of Gordon Barron and Company. This was sited until 1830 on the corner of Belmont Street and Schoolhill.
The site of the factory was subsequently used for the construction of Archibald Simpson's three Free Churches, which nestled under the prominent red brick spire. Bricks for the spire were salvaged from the Dee Village demolition.
To the right of the image is the Denburn entrance to the Trinity Hall. This memorial doorway to Dr William Guild was salvaged from the gateway to the first 'Tarnty Ha'. Sadly it was later lost during demolition work for the Trinity Shopping Centre. Gala and Heather Day in the Duthie Park
395 This Adelphi Series postcard shows the Gala Day taking place in Duthie Park on 21st August 1915.
The Gala in Duthie Park and the accompanying Heather Day were both organised to raise funds for the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The Gala Day is one of largest events ever to take place at the park. It was estimated that between 25,000 and 26,000 people attended. Tickets cost 6 pence (6d) for general admission and 2s 6d for carriages or motor cars.
Within the park there was an elaborate programme of entertainment and refreshments organised. Details of the programme were published in a 32 page booklet prior to the event. Upwards of 1,300 people took part in the programme.
Gates to the park opened at 3pm and the event officially commence at 3pm with a grand military parade. Lieut-Colonel A. H. Leith of Glenkindie, Garrison Commander, and Lord Provost James Taggart "took the salute" opposite the Hygiea statue.
The Gala and Heather Day were organised by a distinct committee; Taggart was its president and Alexander Findlay, Superintendent of Cleansing, was its chairman. Councillor H. J. Gray was the secretary and treasurer and Mr John Lints was his assistant. There were also conveners and secretaries for various sub-committees concerned with aspects like entertainment and refreshments.
There was a wide range of entertainment organised for within the park including singing, dancing, gymnastic displays, musical drill, motor cycle gymkhana and bayonet fighting. Various platforms saw performances from acts such as a company lead by D. M. Kinghorn, pierrots directed by Minnie Mearns, Dan Williams, and W. A. Craig's operatic choir. Charles Soutar lead a 500 strong choir of children from the city's public schools.
Practically all naval and military units present in the city were represented at the event and individuals from many of them took part in the sporting competitions. The day also included a 5-a-side football and tug of war competition. Preliminary matches for these took place prior to the day at Pittodrie Park.
The Gala Day was filmed and this was later shown as part of a special programme at the Picture House on Union Street from the 25th of the month.
Over £500 was taken at the gates for the event. Entertainment and refreshments within further increased the figure raised.
Heather Day itself generated another £474. This involved over 1,500 vendors going around all parts of the city selling sprigs of the plant. The sale started on the afternoon of the Friday and continued all through Saturday. Entertainment venues throughout the city were also visited.
The vendors were primarily young women and members of organisations like the boys brigade. Stores present in all areas of the city were replenished from a central depot at 173a Union Street. This in turn was supplied by the cleansing department buildings in Poynernook Road, where the preceding week had seen 200,000 sprigs prepared for sale. Peterhead, Inverurie, Ellon and Banchory organised their own Heather Days for the same fund.
The sum taken from both the Gala and the Heather Day was estimated at considerably over £1,000.
See the report in the Aberdeen Journal, Monday 23rd August 1915 page 8, for further details about the occasion. Culter War Memorial
994 A photograph showing the unveiling of a new panel at Culter War Memorial on Sunday 19th June 1949.
The article 'Tribute to War Dead of Culter' from the Press & Journal of 20th June 1949, page 6, describes the ceremony as follows:
"A panel containing the names of 29 men from the parish who lost their lives in the recent war was unveiled at Culter War Memorial yesterday.
"Relatives of the fallen and representatives of the Boys' Brigade, Girl Guides, Brownies, and the Territorial Army were grouped round the memorial as Mrs Tough, Hillside Road, Culter, who lost two sons in the war, unveiled the tablet.
"The panel was dedicated by the Rev. J. R. Dey, Kelman Memorial Church, who, along with the Rev. T. W. Howie, St Peter's Church, conducted the service"
Culter War Memorial is a tapering, crenelated tower located on a hillock to the west of the village. It is accessed by a footpath that leaves North Deeside Road not far beyond the bridge over the Culter Burn.
Correspondent Brian Coutts has been in touch to inform us that one of the representatives of the Brownies present at the ceremony was Elizabeth McNab.
The abovementioned sons of Mrs Jane Tough of Hillside Road were Driver Frank Tough, Royal Corps of Signals, formerly an employee of Culter Paper Mills, who was killed by enemy action in the Middle East on 24th September 1942, aged 24, and Private Ernest "Ernie" Tough, 2nd Gordons, who died on 5th October 1943, aged 26, while a prisoner-of-war in Thailand. (Source: Press & Journal, 26th September 1946, page 3.)
The former, Frank Tough, is buried at Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial in Egypt and Ernest is buried Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar. (Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.) Settmaker at Persley Quarry
1071 The Aberdeen area had many granite quarries, and there was a need for men who had the skill to reduce huge blocks of granite into manageable pieces by chipping it with a variety of hammers, and chisels to produce the required shape and size. In this 1920's photograph we see a settmaker at Persley Quarry on the north side of the River Don in Aberdeen, at his wooden shelter or 'skaithie'. These shelters provided some sort of wind break for these men who had to sit on blocks of granite patiently working on the hard stone. Settmakers made cassies for roads and Aberdeen setts were used to pave streets in London. On his left is a tripod structure which acted like a small crane to lift the bigger stones into position. Note the lack of protective safety equipment apart from some extra padding on his knees. Bucksburn School
1137 A photograph showing Bucksburn School.
There have been many different schools in the area but we believe this image shows the old school located on the north side of the Inverurie Road just after Church Lane.
These building are understood to have been demolished in the latter half of the 20th century. George Washington Wilson's works
1261 In 1875, the photographer George Washington Wilson acquired a vacant site at St Swithin Street, near Queens Cross, when he was forced to leave his premises at Glenburnie which were required for redevelopment. By late 1876, this building had been constructed and his stock of materials had been transferred. On the evening of 14th June 1882, a fire broke out in the offices and nearly all his stock of prints and much of his machinery were lost. However, because his negatives were stored in part of the building which was not destroyed, his business could continue and rebuilding took place. This photograph shows the shell of the building after the fire. Because of his Royal connections he received a telegram of sympathy from Queen Victoria at Balmoral. Football at Pittodrie
1656 The large crowds visible in the photograph suggest that this may be the Scottish Cup semi-final of 21st March 1908. Reaching the semi-finals for the first time, Aberdeen played Celtic at Pittodrie before a record 20,000 attendance (this was prior to the introduction of neutral crowds). The Aberdeen players, seen here in their black and gold stripes of the time, lost 1-0 to the visitors. Rothienorman Church
1730 Rothienorman is a village about 25 miles north of Aberdeen and 10 miles from Inverurie. The church began as a mission station in 1935, under Inverurie, before being raised to full status in 1947. In 1958, it became a joint charge with Culsalmond but it is now linked with Fyvie. Rev. Alexander Noble has recently been inducted to the charge but, at the time of this photo, the minister was Rev. Rodney Milligan, who had the charge from 1958. The church was designed by the Aberdeen architect, George Bennett Mitchell, in 1936. The roof is supported by arched oak beams which are painted black, as is the bell tower, in contrast to the grey harled walls. The pews came from the United Free Church in Rayne, while the communion table and chains in light oak were gifted by James Dalgarno, in memory of his wife. At first glance, its unusual design makes the passerby think that it is a private house but most visitors regard it as a beautiful building. The Aberdeenshire Canal
1789 This drawing shows a barge being pulled by two horses along the Aberdeenshire Canal, with the twin spires of St. Machar Cathedral in the background.
The Aberdeenshire Canal was opened in 1805 and ran for 18 miles from Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie. It was first proposed in 1795 by various landed proprietors as a means of providing better transport connections for the rural interior of Aberdeenshire.
The new waterway was fed by the River Don and various streams and springs. Barges transported goods and fly boats or gig boats carried passengers.
In 1840, the goods transported included nearly 4000 tons of lime, 5000 tons of coal, 1124 tons of meal, 54 tons of salt, 110 tons of wood, 51 tons of granite, 43 tons of livestock and 8 tons of whisky. Passenger traffic was catered for by two iron boats, which made the trip twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. It cost 2 shillings (10p.) for the full journey or 2d. (about a half pence) per mile.
As a result of the number of locks to be negotiated at the Aberdeen end, passengers disembarked at the Boathouse at Kittybrewster, having completed the journey in 2 and a half hours. Goods traffic was handled by various barges, some of which belonged to the canal company. It took them 10-14 hours to complete their passage to Aberdeen Harbour. There were facilities for changing the horses at Dyce and Kintore.
In his book The Annals of Woodside and Newhills Patrick Morgan remarks that the canal "was a great convenience to the inhabitants, and a luxury to the boys for bathing in summer and skating in winter." There is no mention of girls using the canal for leisure purposes - perhaps they were required to stay at home and help with housework instead.
The canal increased the prosperity of the area that it served but it was never a huge financial success for its owners. Also it was about to be overtaken by a much speedier rival. Its demise as in other parts of the country was largely brought about by the coming of the railways. The Aberdeenshire Canal was bought over by the Great North of Scotland Railway and finally closed in 1854. The company gave £1000 as compensation for depriving the inhabitants of Woodside of the privilege of the Canal and to assist in obtaining a supply of water from other sources.
There is very little physical evidence to remind us that the Aberdeenshire Canal ever existed. However there is one quite substantial remnant which lies close to Great Northern Road - Warrack's Bridge was one of the original canal bridges and looking over the west side of the bridge the curve of the canal bed can clearly be seen. James Tulloch
1914 A portrait of Baillie James Tulloch (30th September 1830 - 16th November 1925). Upon his death, at home at 5 Devonshire Road, The Press and Journal wrote that "Aberdeen has lost one of its oldest citizens and certainly one of the most public spirited it has possessed in the course of the last half-century."
Tulloch was the second son of a ship-master who hailed from Shetland. He was a "Fittie Boy", having been born at 14 Clement Street. His primary business was supplying emigrant boats with groceries and other supplies. He was one of the founders of the Party of Progress and entered the council in 1869.
He was instrumental in the construction of Victoria Bridge after the Torry ferryboat disaster. He was also associated with the Riverside Road scheme, Ferryhill, Union Terrace improvements and the Public Library movement. Tulloch was also involved in infrastructural improvements to mail delivery, railway and the telegraph. Furthermore, he played a crucial role in the extension of the university. An Inverurie Portrait
1973 A studio portrait of an couple and their three children taken by Inverurie photographer Robert Brown. The Victoria Bridge
1994 The Victoria Bridge as seen from across the River Dee on the shores of Torry.
Victoria Bridge was erected following the Dee Ferry Boat Disaster, which claimed the lives of 32 people on 5 April 1876.
The ferry had for centuries took people from Pocra Quay, near Fittie, to Torry and back again.
The 5th April was a feastday so the ferry was particularly busy when it went down and 32 people lost their lives.
There had long been plans to build a bridge here but the Ferry Boat disaster was the final impetus needed for the project.
When the bridge opened finally in 1881 it enabled direct access for carriages from Torry into the heart of Abedeen via Market Street. The new bridge facilitated the rapid expansion that Torry would see in the following years.
By 1969 it was clear to Aberdeen Corporation that Victoria Bridge was no longer coping with the amount of traffic using it to cross the Dee.
A report in 1965 showed that traffic was 20% above the level for which the bridge had been designed.
This overload and the deteriorating state of The Wellington Suspension Bridge saw the opening of the nearby Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in 1981. The Aberdeenshire Canal
2008 This drawing shows a barge being pulled by two horses along the Aberdeenshire Canal, with the twin spires of St. Machar Cathedral in the background. The canal ran for 19 miles from Aberdeen Harbour to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie, and was first proposed in 1795 by various landed proprietors as a means of providing better transport connections for the rural interior of Aberdeenshire. It was opened in 1805. Passenger traffic was catered for by two iron boats, which made the trip twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. It cost 2 shillings (10p.) for the full journey or 2d. (about a half pence) per mile. Because there were several locks to be negotiated at the Aberdeen end, passengers disembarked at the Boathouse at Kittybrewster, having completed the journey in 2 and a half hours. Goods traffic was handled by various barges, some of which belonged to the canal company. It took them 10-14 hours to complete their passage to Aberdeen Harbour. There were facilities for changing the horses at Dyce and Kintore. In 1840, the goods transported included nearly 4000 tons of lime, 5000 tons of coal, 1124 tons of meal, 54 tons of salt, 110 tons of wood, 51 tons of granite, 43 tons of livestock and 8 tons of whisky. The canal was purchased by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and it closed in 1854, when the railway line was opened using part of the old canal route. There are still some remnants of the canal to be seen including milestones and the street names Canal Street and Terrace recall its existence. Provost James Morrison Snr
2025 A portrait painted by James Alexander of Provost James Morrison Snr (1665 - February 1748). He served as Provost of Aberdeen from 1730-1731. On his death, aged 84, The Aberdeen Journal records that he died "with an unblemished character. He behaved himself in every situation of life in such a fair, straight way, as procured him the universal love and affections of his fellow citizens, and his relations by his death lost a most affectionate parent and sincere friend." Police Headquarters
2111 The North-Eastern Counties Constabulary (later Grampian Police) headquarters, at the corner of Howes Road and Inverurie Road, Bucksburn. Staff moved in from 1963, from when this photograph dates, and it was officially opened by the Queen Mother on 14th May 1964. Upper Mill Farm, Bucksburn
2112 Upper Mill Farm, which became the site of the Bucksburn Headquarters of the North-Eastern Counties Constabulary, later Grampian Police, at the corner of Howes Road and Inverurie Road. Staffing began in 1963 and it was officially opened by the Queen Mother on 14th May 1964. Torry and the River Dee
2245 This photograph by George Washington Wilson shows Old Torry from Balnagask, with Victoria Bridge in the distance.
In the early 19th century Old Torry developed out of the medieval settlement of Lower Torry. It was a centre of fishing industry and culture. Old Torry was eventually largely demolished in the 1970s to make way for support service buildings for the emerging oil and gas industry. Only one or two streets, such as Abbey Road, remain of Old Torry.
Victoria Bridge was erected following the Dee Ferry Boat Disaster, which claimed the lives of 32 people on 5 April 1876. The ferry had for centuries took people from Pocra Quay, near Fittie, to Torry and back again. The 5th April was a feast day so the ferry was particularly busy when it went down and 32 people lost their lives. There had long been plans to build a bridge here but the Ferry Boat disaster was the final impetus needed for the project.
When the bridge opened finally in 1881 it enabled direct access for carriages from Torry into the heart of Aberdeen via Market Street. The new bridge facilitated the rapid expansion that Torry would see in the following years. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Isabella Fyvie Mayo
2335 A photograph of poet, novelist and translator Isabella Fyvie Mayo (1843-1914) and cat taken from the frontispiece of her Recollections of Fifty Years (London: John Murray, 1910). Aberdeen Local Studies have a copy of this work in our collection. Pitglassie Group Portrait
3353 This photograph was one of three lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Mr William Finney of Banchory so that we could create and preserve a digital copy for public use. These three photographs were kept by Mr Finney's family and he hopes to find out more about the people shown in them. If you can shed any light on these images please get in touch using the comment button on the left. Mr Finney was born in Turriff and the images likely relate to that area of Aberdeenshire.
This photograph by David Smith is a group portrait that appears to show five workers from the farm or area of Pitglassie in 1923. The image might have been taken at a local event or competition. This could well be a competitive ploughing team.
Pitglassie is an area with a number of farms located to the south of Turriff and north of the Kirktown of Auchterless. Ordnance Survey maps from the period show farms called Upper Pitglassie, Mid Pitglassie and North Pitglassie. There is also a Wood of Pitglassie and Crofts of Pitglassie.
The man in the middle of the lower row bears a resemblance to a figure from another of Mr Finney's images who is tentatively identified as a Fred Matthews. The man in the top left can be seen in the background of another of the three images. We do not have any knowledge about the other sitters.
Not a great deal is known about the photographer either. The card states David Smith is a "Photographic artist and picture frame maker" and that he is available for marriages and picnics. A search of old newspapers indicates there was a photographer called David Smith active in Inverurie in the 1910s. He appears to have lived in Souterford, a property that still stands today, though derelict, on the Oldmeldrum Road just after it crosses the River Urie, going out of the town. This may or may not be the David Smith who took this portrait. |