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Seaton Park Racecourse, 1928
259 This image shows one of the last races in Seaton Park at a meeting held on Saturday 22nd and Monday 24th September 1928.
Horse racing had taken place in the city regularly in the 19th century when there was a racecourse at the Links. Its popularity had declined but racing was revived in Seaton Park in 1923 when 30,000 people attended.
The 1928 Meeting was not a great success since less than 1000 spectators attended on the Saturday, although 3000 attended on the Monday despite intermittent rain. The entrance fee to the ground was 1/6 (seven and a half pence) and to the Paddock 4 shillings (20p) with licensed bars, refreshments and teas available.
The fields were not large with only 5 runners in the main events. The Bon Accord Handicap, run over 7 furlongs, had prize money of 25 sovereigns. The last race on the Monday was the Consolation Handicap (for beaten horses). Only 3 horses ran, with "Lolita" winning by 6 lengths. The third horse "Peggy Maitland" was so far behind that her owner/jockey had to walk her past the post.
An application made in 1956 to restart horse racing was turned down by the Town Council. Pittodrie House
270 This photograph shows Pittodrie House which stands on the east slopes of Bennachie near the village of Pitcaple about 20 miles from Aberdeen. The Mither Tap is visible in the background.
Although the house stands over 680 feet above sea level, it is surrounded by trees which provide shelter from the wind. It is a complex house of several dates and was on the estate of the Knight Erskine family for centuries, before being sold in 1903 to George Smith, a Glasgow shipping magnate who founded the City Line of Steamers. The Smith family still own the property which has been run as a luxury hotel since 1977 and the 3000 acre estate is leased for agriculture.
The original house probably dated from around 1490, and a wheel stair from that period still survives, although the house was burnt by Montrose during the Covenanting Wars.
A date stone commemorates the re-building by the Erskines in 1675, and in 1841, the architect Archibald Simpson created the large neo-Jacobean extension with three storey balustraded tower on the east side - seen here covered in ivy. A billiard room was added in the early 1900s and further extensions took place in 1990.
The word 'Pittodrie' is thought to be derived from the Gaelic 'todhar' which can mean either manure or bleach. Aberdeen Football Club's ground is known as Pittodrie Stadium, because the Knight Erskines also owned the lands in the city where the stadium was built. Portrait of A. B. Hutchison
303 A portrait of A. B. Hutchison (1862-1928) wearing the medal and chain of office as convener of the Incorporated Trades in 1906.
Hutchison was one of the most successful bakers in Aberdeen of his time. He was born in the district of Crimond near Peterhead and he learnt his trade in Dundee. His first of many bakeries was opened at 62 Broad Street.
Following considerable success, he opened the Central Bakery at 123 George Street in 1893. This served as the producing centre for a large number of retail shops.
The business was successfully continued by his family well into the later 20th century. An obituary for Hutchison can be found in the Press & Journal of 18th February 1928, page 8.
In addition to running his business, and involvement in the Incorporated Trades, Hutchison was a town councillor, including being made a baillie, served as a Justice of the Peace and was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. The Linn o' Dee, c.1880
359 The Linn o'Dee is 65 miles west of Aberdeen and over 1200 feet above sea level. It is about a mile west of Inverey, the last settlement on Deeside and marks the end of the public road. The stone bridge which replaced a wooden structure was opened by Queen Victoria in September 1857. Salmon can often be seen here leaping upwards to their spawning grounds. The area is still a popular tourist attraction with views of the Cairngorms in the distance. Linn is a Scottish word for a rocky gorge with pools. The Guestrow, Aberdeen
365 This photograph shows a rather delapidated house in the once fashionable area of the Guestrow in the centre of Aberdeen. The word "Guestrow' may derive from 'Ghaistrow' because of the street's proximity to St. Nicholas Churchyard where 'ghaists', ie ghosts might be thought to roam. The tiled roofs and outside stairs were typical of these early houses. Note the handcart propped up outside. The Guestrow area was part of a slum clearance initiative by the Town Council in the late 1920s and 30s when most of the buildings there were demolished.
Correspondent Ed Fowler plausibly suggests that this is the dwelling house in the T-shaped Mitchell Court. Post Office directories and old maps tell us that the entrance to the court was just beside a public house at number 41 on the Guestrow. If this is correct then the large building in the background is likely to be Provost Skene's House, then probably known as the Victoria Lodging House. George Pegler & Co.
444 Queueing for bananas after the end of World War Two, when fruit was still rationed. The shop in question belongs to George Pegler & Co. Watson Street Lodge
733 A photograph of the Watson Street Lodge in Victoria Park.
The figures standing in the doorway are most likely to be Robert Walker (1848-1930), the Keeper of Victoria Park, and his family; his second wife Christina Walker and daughters Elizabeth and Ann. Judging by the 1891 census and Robert's eventual obituary, the family also had at least five sons.
Walker was previously married to Isabella Robertson. She died on 24th November 1877. This photograph likely dates from the later 19th century.
Robert Walker was originally from Perth and was himself a son of a gardener. He came to Aberdeen as a nurseryman and in around 1871 was chosen out of 450 candidates to be the city's first keeper of parks.
He oversaw the creation of Victoria Park, Aberdeen's first public park, before going on to lay out Westburn Park, Stewart Park, Union Terrace Gardens and the Promenade. Walker was also an early advocate and pioneer of the planting of street trees.
For a number of years Aberdeen had two superintendents of parks, Walker and a Mr Peter Harper at Duthie Park. When Harper retired in 1914 Walker was appointed general superintendent.
Post Office directories indicate that Walker and his family lived at the Watson Street Lodge, also known as the Victoria Park Lodge, from its construction in around 1872 to his retirement in 1919. His residence at the lodge was part of the job. On retirement Walker moved to the relatively nearby 111 Westburn Drive.
He was succeeded as general superintendent of parks by William B. Clark, who resided at the West Lodge of Duthie Park. A man called Robert Duncan replaced Walker as the keeper of Victoria and Westburn Park.
Over the years Aberdeen has had substantial success and renown as an attractive, green city. A considerable portion of the credit for this success must reside with the pioneering and dedicated work of Robert Walker. Astoria Cinema, Aberdeen
1152 The exterior of the Astoria Cinema, Clifton Road, Kittybrewster, Aberdeen, c.1960. In 1934, a new cinema was built on part of the old Central Park, just north of Kittybrewster Auction Marts. It was designed by the architect, T. Scott Sutherland, and was opened on 8th December 1934, with space for more than 2000 people. Its proximity to the relatively new housing areas of Kittybrewster, Powis, Woodside and Hilton should have ensured its success. It was made of concrete over a steel framework, with the roof sloping in a series of steps to produce the best acoustics. It had a colour scheme of light pink, invory and brown with walnut panelling and 2 miles of Wilton carpet. It closed on Saturday 13th August 1966, re-opening later that month as a Bingo Hall but that only lasted a few months and it finally closed in January 1967. In April 1967, it was being demolished and the site redeveloped as a shopping complex. The cinema had had one of the latest Compton theatre organs, which had been removed piece by piece and restored to be placed in the hall of Powis Academy. In November 1982, an arson attack destroyed the organ. Trinity Lane
1208 Trinity Lane, Aberdeen, c.1975, from Exchange Street.
The Trinity place-name comes from the area once being the site of a Trinitarian Friary.
The building to the right in this photograph was once known as Trinity Chapel, or Trinity Parish Church. It was opened for public worship on Sunday 27th April, 1794.
For a number of years, the chapel was an important centre of religious life and activity. The Disruption of 1843 significantly diminished the congregation. The building was subsequently sold by the Presbytery and became the Alhambra Music Hall.
See Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) for more information on the history of this congregation and building.
A large part of the exterior still stands and the building currently houses Wagley's public house. In this photograph Alex. McKay, electrical appliance showroom, is in occupation. Newspaper notices indicate that the business moved here, from 41 The Green, in 1966.
The building in the centre of the image is best known, as shown here, as a banana warehouse for Knowles & Sons, fruiterers and later as a restaurant and art gallery. It was originally built as a church for Aberdeen's Catholic Apostolic congregation.
MUSA was a restaurant and art space, with a focus on music, throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. It closed down in October 2018.
8th March 2019 saw the opening of a new bar in the building called The Hop & Anchor, specialising in craft beer. It is owned by a company called the Draft House and this is their first pub outside London. The Draft House is owned by Brewdog, the North East beer company. Grandholm Mills
1715 The dinner hour, workers crossing the bridge over the River Don.
The history of the mills in Woodside has gone through prosperous and bad times with several being closed in the mid-1800s and subsequently reopened towards the end of the century. The success especially of the paper and cloth mills of the area has provided work for many generations of Woodsiders.
A linen and cloth factory moved to the Grandholme mills site in mid-18th century from Gordon Mills and was taken over by James and John Crombie in 1859. J&J Crombie went on to produce the famous worldwide Crombie cloth at the Grandholme Mill, leading to the long association between Woodside and the fabric. The mill at one point employed up to 3000 people.
J&J Crombie were included on a list of government suppliers and one tenth of all coats worn by British officers of the First World War were made with the Crombie cloth. By World War II 467 miles of the cloth was being produced at the Grandholme mill per year.
By 1960 Grandholm was the largest supplier of tweed in the UK and also produced silk, wool, cashmere and yarns. Sadly the business has now been moved away from the Woodside area to the Borders.
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. A. B. Hutchison
1891 A portrait of A. B. Hutchison (1862-1928) wearing the medal and chain of office as convener of the Incorporated Trades in 1906.
Hutchison was one of the most successful bakers in Aberdeen of his time. He was born in the district of Crimond near Peterhead and he learnt his trade in Dundee. His first of many bakeries was opened at 62 Broad Street.
Following considerable success, he opened the Central Bakery at 123 George Street in 1893. This served as the producing centre for a large number of retail shops.
The business was successfully continued by his family well into the later 20th century. An obituary for Hutchison can be found in the Press & Journal of 18th February 1928, page 8.
In addition to running his business, and involvement in the Incorporated Trades, Hutchison was a town councillor, including being made a baillie, served as a Justice of the Peace and was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. G. W. Morgan Portrait
2145 This portrait of a smartly dressed young man was taken by G. W. Morgan (1855-1909). The photo features the ornate furniture and painted background that was the convention of the time. On the rear of the postcard photograph is printed "For further copies apply Elite Studios, 5 Market St, Aberdeen." This dates the image as between 1897 and 1907 when the business was trading under this name at the Market Street premises. Morgan and his brother William also operated photographic studios at 3 Bridge Place, 393 Union Street, and two in Aboyne and Ballater.
Morgan was the son of a blacksmith from the village of Clatt, called John Morgan. Born in 1855, George trained as a druggist in Aberdeen before leaving for California where he worked as a photographer. He returned to the city in 1880 and became the principal photographic assistant to Mr Dinnie of Bridge Place. The premises in Market Street were his first studio after going into business with his brother. He lived at Westfield Terrace.
In the coming years Morgan established a reputation in the city as an excellent photographer and businessman. He was described in his Aberdeen Daily Journal obituary as "A thorough artist in every sense of the word. Mr Morgan was remarkably successful in developing the very extensive business, and it was largely owning to his efforts that the firm attained its well deserved renown for the excellence of its portraiture and scenic work, all of which reach a high degree of artistic merit."
In 1909, Morgan died aged 54 in quite unusual circumstances. On the night of 25th June he was travelling with Mr J. B. Davidson, a solicitor and business associate, to London on the Caledonian sleeper train. All was well up to Stirling when the two men went to sleep. Davidson was awoken in the night by the wind blowing into their compartment and with Morgan nowhere to be seen. After a thorough search of the train and much telegraphic inquiries it was determined that Morgan had fallen from the train and died just south of Carstairs. The exact conditions of his death are unknown but it was believed that he woke in the night and groggy with sleep used the wrong door.
In addition to photography Morgan was a very accomplished violinist and acted as choirmaster for Ferryhill Parish Church for many years. He and his wife had 12 children. The Astoria Cinema
2268 The Astoria Cinema on Clifton Road, Woodside.
In 1934, a new cinema was built on part of the old Central Park, just north of Kittybrewster Auction Marts. It was designed by the architect T. Scott Sutherland and was opened on 8th December 1934 with space for more than 2000 people. Its proximity to the relatively new housing areas of Kittybrewster, Powis, Woodside and Hilton should have ensured its success.
It was made of concrete over a steel framework, with the roof sloping in a series of steps to produce the best acoustics. It had a colour scheme of light pink, ivory and brown with walnut panelling and 2 miles of Wilton carpet. It closed on Saturday 13th August 1966, reopening later that month as a Bingo Hall but that only lasted a few months and it finally closed in January 1967. In April 1967, it was being demolished and the site redeveloped as a shopping complex.
The cinema had had one of the latest Compton theatre organs, which had been removed piece by piece and restored to be placed in the hall of Powis Academy. Tragedy befell it in November 1982, when, in an act of vandalism, a youth set fire to the hall and the organ was totally destroyed. Treasure 6: Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen
2275 Enthusiastic gardeners who have spent months, if not years, nurturing their plants have the opportunity to display their efforts at flower shows - usually held in August or September. These events for individuals happen all around the country and have a long history.
Britain in Bloom is the national flower show for whole communities. It was the brainchild of Roy Hay, a horticultural journalist. Following a holiday in France where he admired the "Fleurissement de France", he persuaded the British Travel and Holidays Association (later the British Tourist Authority) to organise a similar competition for communities in Britain.
Although the first competition in 1964 was won by Bath, Aberdeen received a "Special Mention". The city did even better in 1965 when it won the National Trophy. Although it did not win again until 1969, the city then continued its success each year until 1971. However, this achievement led to Aberdeen being debarred from the National Competition in 1972 although it still won the Scottish section. 1973 and 1974 saw Aberdeen winning the National award again, and its record 10th win was in 1998.
A slogan competition was held for the 1968 campaign when the winning entry proclaimed "Aberdeen - Garden City by the Sea".
In order to celebrate Britain in Bloom and Aberdeen's success in the competition we have chosen to highlight our collection of historic prize schedules for the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen's annual exhibition.
The Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society was founded in March 1824 when a meeting of "Practical Gardeners" was held in the New Inn for the "purpose of forming themselves into a Society". The Earl of Aberdeen graciously agreed to be Patron of the Society.
In November 1863, it was announced at the annual general meeting that HRH the Prince of Wales had now agreed to become Patron of the Society and that the Society's name was to be changed to the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen.
The Society's "Prize Schedule for Exhibition" gives details of each of the classes which can be entered, with the prizes which can be won - a sum of money or a cup or medal. In 1920, there were a total of 222 classes and those who exhibited were split into one of four Divisions - professional gardeners; nurserymen and florists; amateurs and working class.
The Schedules also contain the Rules of Competition, the Constitution of the Society and a list of Subscriptions and Donations received - these include names, addresses and amounts given. Our earliest copies of the booklets cover the period 1920 - 1937, although the file is incomplete.
The Society celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1999. To take a closer look at these, and many other Aberdeen historic documents, visit Aberdeen Central Library. Treasure 32: George Washington Wilson South Africa Photography Collection
2320 George Washington Wilson is one of the great names in 19th century photography, famous for capturing images of people, buildings and landscapes across Scotland. His photography drew attention to the beauty of his country, but his travels further afield are not as well known.
As an innovative pioneer in photography, George Washington Wilson's work reflected the reality and attitudes of society during his lifetime (1823-1893). In our collections we hold a vast selection of photographs and portraits taken by the G. W. Wilson Company in South Africa. These images were taken by his son, Charles Wilson, and Fred Hardie, a company photographer of George Washington Wilson & Co.
The company's photographs of South Africa captured scenes of the country which would have been perceived as unusual and exotic to British people at the time.
South Africa and its Treasures
The majority of British colonization was concentrated in South Africa during the 19th century. In the past, the country was colonized in order to control one of the main trade routes to India. Due to the abundance of resources such as spices and tea, European interest in Africa increased dramatically in the late 19th century, especially with the discovery of gold and diamonds in the 1860s-1880s.
On their return to Britain, George Washington Wilson & Co presented many photographs showing these natural resources, from the Robinson Gold mine in Johannesburg to De Beers Diamond Mines in Kimberley.
Tea was also a very valuable resource, and people in Britain were keen to learn more about its production and its use in South Africa.
Photography and Tourism
The collection held by Aberdeen City Libraries shows local places of interest in South Africa. These photographs capture Cape Town and Johannesburg, two of the biggest cities in the country. Many Europeans emigrated to these cities in the 19th century, due to the discovery of valuable resources in the surrounding area.
With the rapid rise of tourism in this period, George Washington Wilson & Co. looked for new ways to promote and sell their work. Around 1880-1890, they started to commercialize their photography via picture postcards, a relatively new concept in Britain. This new form of media met with huge success as it was easy to write and cheap to send. It soon became the standard way to communicate with friends and family when abroad, a holiday tradition which remains today.
The postcards, in colour and having a standard size, featured many different scenes from South Africa and were viewed as an innovative way to publicize the country - and the works of photographic firms such as George Washington Wilson & Co. Treasure 36: Aberdeen City Libraries' First Book Sale, 24 February 1979
2327 National Libraries Day has been held every February since 2011 to celebrate and raise awareness of libraries, library staff and their communities all over the UK. It is an opportunity for libraries to showcase and promote what they have to offer and to attract as many visitors as possible to local libraries.
This month our selection from the Library archive brings the focus to a Library event the likes of which has never been seen before or since in Aberdeen City Libraries. The photograph shows the queue for the first ever Library book sale held in the Ballroom of the Music Hall on Saturday 24 February 1979, when well over a thousand people swarmed through the doors to grab a bargain. The Press and Journal covered the event with the headline: "Bonanza Day for Bookworms; bargain hunters pack the Music Hall".
In September 1978 the Aberdeen District Council's library committee agreed to a recommendation from City Librarian Peter Grant to hold a sale of more than 30,000 books which had been withdrawn from stock for various reasons. There was also considerable duplication of stock following local government re-organisation in 1975 when Aberdeen inherited six former county branch libraries.
Books were divided into three categories: Children's, Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction (including reference books) and prices were kept low at 20p for fiction books and non-fiction titles slightly more at 50p.
Best sellers included children's books purchased by play groups, out of date encyclopaedias and Whittaker's Almanacs, and bound volumes of National Geographic Magazine. By the end of the day, the event was deemed an overwhelming success, selling over 13,000 books and raising more than £3645 for the purchase of new stock.
The hard work and dedication of the Library staff was recognised by the Convener of the Library Committee Councillor Henry Rae who said "It turned out to be a resounding success and this was achieved by the dedication of the staff".
Nuart 2018: Rustico, Union Row
2733 An artwork created by Portuguese artist Bordalo II for the Nuart 2018 Festival that ran from 12th to 15th April of that year.
The artwork, depicting a colourful unicorn made from end-of-life materials, is on the eastern side of the Italian restaurant Rustico. The restaurant sits at the junction of Summer Street and Union Row. The words next to the Unicorn read "Endangered dream".
This photograph was taken on 10th June 2018. Nuart 2018: Union Row
2734 An artwork by Argentinian artist Milu Correch created for the Nuart 2018 Festival that ran from 12th to 15th April of that year.
The large scale mural is located on the south side of Union Row.
This photograph was taken on 10th June 2018. Nuart 2018: Caledonian House
2735 An artwork by artists Nimi and RH74 created for the Nuart 2018 Festival that ran from 12th to 15th April of that year.
The large scale mural is on the western exterior wall of Caledonian House on Union Row.
This photograph was taken on 10th June 2018. Nuart 2018: Union Plaza
2736 An artwork by Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevic for the Nuart 2018 Festival that ran from 12th to 15th April of that year.
The artwork is on the south eastern facade of Union Plaza, a large office development in Aberdeen's city centre.
This photograph was taken on 10th June 2018. Nuart 2017: Harriet Street
2758 An artwork by Polish artist M-City for the Nuart 2017 Festival that ran from 14th-16th April of that year.
The artwork is on 18 Harriet Street, located at the junction of Harriet Street and Loch Street.
This photograph looks west and was taken on 14th July 2018. Nuart 2017: Harriet Street
2759 An artwork by Polish artist M-City for the Nuart 2017 Festival that ran from 14th-16th April of that year.
The artwork is on 18 Harriet Street, located at the junction of Harriet Street and Loch Street.
This photograph looks south and was taken on 14th July 2018. Nuart 2017: Belmont Street
2760 An artwork by Italian artist Alice Pasquini for the Nuart 2017 Festival that ran from 14th-16th April of that year. The artwork is mid-way along Belmont Street.
In this image can also be seen the entrance to Shri Bheema's Indian restaurant. This popular establishment opened in 2012 and was followed by a branch in Bridge of Don. Branches in Edinburgh, London and Milton Keynes were later opened.
On the right of the image is the premises that previously housed One Up Records. This shop traded at this location from 1979 to January 2013.
This photograph looks south and was taken on 14th July 2018. |