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Statue of Queen Victoria
73 A photograph showing the statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. The building in the background is the Clydesdale Bank that stands next to M&S today. This fine Italian renaissance style building was originally constructed for the Town and County Bank and opened for business in May 1863.
The statue of Queen Victoria was made from marble and was sculpted by Banff born Alexander Brodie (c.1829 - 1867). The origin of this statue is closely related to another Aberdeen monument, the 1863 memorial statue of Prince Albert by Baron Marochetti, now standing, or rather sitting, in the area in front of the Central Library.
Marochetti's statue was augurated by Queen Victoria herself on 13th October 1863 and this was said to the first time the Queen had appeared at a public demonstration following the death of Albert in 1861. The Marochetti statue was the subject of great local controversy and there were various plans for an alternative, superior, memorial to the late Prince Consort. It was at a related meeting that a chap called Alexander Donald, from the Royal Tradesman of Aberdeen, moved "That a colossal statue in marble, of Her Majesty, be erected at the corner of St. Nicholas Street."
The endeavour was taken on by a variety of prominent citizens and funding was raised by public subscription. Brodie, the selected sculptor, worked on an 11-ton block of Sicilian marble for two years to complete the statue. The finished piece is 8 foot 6 inches in height and, at the request of Queen herself, depicts Victoria in Scottish regal attire. The statue stands on a substantial plinth of pink Peterhead granite.
The statue was unveiled and inaugurated on 20th September 1866 by Albert-Edward Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VII and the subject of another of Aberdeen's notable statues. During his speech at the ceremony, the Prince said "Gentlemen, it has afforded me the greatest satisfaction to attend here today, by the wish of Her Majesty, and at your invitation, for the purpose of inaugurating a statue of the Queen, my dear mother. Her Majesty has desired me to express to you how much she appreciates the motives which have led the people of Aberdeenshire to give this lasting evidence of their attachment and loyalty to her person, of which she has so many proofs, and whose sympathy in her great sorrow has touched her so deeply."
During his visit, the Prince of Wales also received the Freedom of the City and attended the Royal Horticultural Society's Autumn Show, which was then going on in the Music Hall. An extensive account of the unveiling, the Royal visit and the town's celebrations is given in the Aberdeen Journal of 26th September 1866.
After some time at this location, the statue's marble began to show weathering due to the frost and so it was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888, where it remains to this day. It stands at the foot of the building's splendid main stairway. The plaster model of Brodie's statue has also been on display in the Music Hall for many years.
A new bronze statue of an older Victoria, by sculptor Charles Bell Birch, was erected at the St. Nicholas Street location on 9th November 1893 and "the Queen" became a regular meeting place for generations of Aberdonians. To make way for the extension of Marks & Spencer, the 1893 statue moved to its current site at Queen's Cross on 22nd January 1964. Victoria now stands looking east towards Balmoral. Union Terrace
86 Union Terrace at the junction with Union Street. The imposing building on the left is the Northern Assurance Building (Commercial Union Assurance), designed by A. Marshall Mackenzie and known locally as "The Monkey House". The statue of Prince Albert was relocated to the other end of Union Terrace to make space for the new statue of King Edward VII in 1914. Tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar
195 The tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar at St. Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen.
Gavin Dunbar was appointed Bishop of Aberdeen on 5th November 1518 and died on 9th March 1532. He became a great benefactor not only of King's College, but of the town.
It was he who took over the plans left after the death of Bishop Elphinstone and created the Bridge of Dee which opened road access to the City, from the south.
Dunbar also built the twin towers at St. Machar's Cathedral and gave its magnificent ceiling at his own expense. It comprises 48 heraldic shields including the arms of Scottish monarchs, nobles, Kings of Europe, and Scottish Bishops.
When he died in 1532, he was buried in the south transept of the cathedral. This was virtually destroyed after the collapse of the great central tower in 1688, and a recumbent statue of white marble of Dunbar was broken into pieces during the Reformation.
The splendor of the six foot richly carved arch of Morayshire freestone is still obvious despite its exposure to the weather. A bishop's mitre surmounts the Dunbar coat of arms and his initials, at the right hand side. Union Terrace
222 Union Terrace, with statue of King Edward VII which was erected in 1914, after the statue of Prince Albert was re-located to the other end of Union Terrace. Union Terrace and Gardens, with the statue of King Edward VII
260 Union Terrace and Gardens with the statue of King Edward VII Castlegate, Aberdeen
271 The Castlegate, Aberdeen looking west towards Union Street, showing the spires of the Town House and Tolbooth. The building on the right at the corner of Union Street and King Street, was designed by the architect Archibald Simpson as the North of Scotland Bank, later Clydesdale Bank. After its closure as a bank, the building was refurbished and opened in 1997 as a pub named 'The Archibald Simpson'.
In the foreground is the statue of the 5th Duke of Gordon which is now in Golden Square. Adjacent to the statue is the shelter used by cab drivers. Proclamation of King Edward VII, 1901
320 This view was taken in the Castlegate on 26th January 1901 at the proclamation of Edward VII as King in succession to Queen Victoria. Because of her recent death a jubilant celebration was out of the question. However, the Town Council and other public dignitaries assembled to form a procession from the Town House on the left to the Market Cross at the right. A crowd of 100,000 attended with windows and roofs all occupied. Cheers were given as the National Anthem was played by the Band of the First Volunteer Batallion (Gordon Highlanders). The procession then returned to the Town House where the health of the King was pledged and God save the King was sung. Aberdeen Central Library
333 Aberdeen Central Library was designed by George Watt but has been added to over the years.
This image shows the library decorated for the city's celebrations of the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra that were held on Saturday 9th August 1902. The new monarchs had been crowned the previous year.
The decorations on Schoolhill and Rosemount Viaduct were carried out under the direction of Mr Stewart, superintendent of Stewart Park.
See the Aberdeen Daily Journal of Monday 11th August 1902 for an extensive report on the coronation celebrations. Kittybrewster School
458 The school was opened 14th August 1899 on Great Northern Road with space for 1,100 eager to learn pupils!
This photographs shows the school, and the junction with Lilybank Place, looking north west from Great Northern Road.
The school was built by a popular Aberdeen builder named John Morgan who amongst other things also built the Caledonian Hotel, King Street School, various 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. The Castlegate
574 The Castlegate, Aberdeen. The Town House is in the centre of the photograph with the spire of the Tolbooth to the right. The Athenaeum Building is on the left and behind the statue of the Duke of Gordon is the headquarters of the North of Scotland Bank. Note the cannon to the left of the Market Cross.
In his Annals of Aberdeen (1818) William Kennedy states "In the year 1394, King Robert III granted to the burgesses and community a charter, dated 20th of October, by which he permitted them to build a tolbooth and court house, eighty feet in length, and thirty feet in breath, in any part of the town except in the middle of the market place. This edifice was accordingly soon afterwards erected on the north side of the Castlegate, on the site of the present town house." (page 403)
In 1615 a new prison replaced the one on this site and it stood for many years. It was largely replaced or subsumed by the new town house development in the 1870s, however the old Tolbooth spire can still be seen - as in this photograph (the right most spire). Schoolhill decorated for a royal visit
776 Schoolhill, showing Aberdeen Art Gallery, the entrance to Robert Gordon's College and Gray's School of Art.
This image shows the buildings decorated for the city's celebrations of the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra that were held on Saturday 9th August 1902. The new monarchs had been crowned the previous year.
The decorations on Schoolhill and Rosemount Viaduct were carried out under the direction of Mr Stewart, superintendent of Stewart Park.
See the Aberdeen Daily Journal from Monday 11th August 1902 for an extensive report on the coronation celebrations. Union Terrace decorated for coronation of King Edward VII
778 The corner of Union Terrace decorated to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Robert Gordon's College
780 The gateway to Robert Gordon's College, Schoolhill decorated for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Union Terrace Gardens
797 Union Terrace Gardens from the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street. The Denburn valley and the spires of the Triple Kirks at the left and Belmont Congregational Church, with the statue of Prince Albert in the foreground. This statue was moved to the other end of Union Terrace and the site is now occupied by the statue of King Edward VII. King Edward VII statue
1147 Installation of the statue of King Edward VII at the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street in 1914. The monument, in granite and bronze, is by Alfred Drury and was unveiled on 31st October 1914. The equipment required to lift the heavy granite blocks was less sophisticated than that used today. As can be seen, the mechanical crane and hoist, together with a large number of labourers, achieved the same objective. In the background can be seen the steeple of St. Nicholas Church and Belmont Street on the other side of the Denburn. Sir Alexander Lyon
2035 A portrait of Sir Alexander Lyon (1850-1926) in Lord Lieutenant's uniform. Alexander Lyon served as Provost of Aberdeen from 1905-1908. He died 26th April 1926 at his residence on Queen's Road, Aberdeen.
The Provost made the arrangements for the visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra to Aberdeen in September 1906 for the opening of the extension of Marischal College. He was knighted during this royal visit. Lyon was also involved in the beach esplanade between the Rivers Dee and Don.
He held many public posts including; Deputy Lieutenant of the City and County of Aberdeen, a Justice of the Peace, president of the Aberdeen Territorial Army Association, a prominent office bearer in the Aberdeen Seven Incorporated Trades, a member of the West United Free Church, a member of the Cairngorm Club and the director of a number of important local businesses.
In August 1925 Alexander and Lady Lyon celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Alexander Lyon
2056 A portrait of Sir Alexander Lyon (1850-1926). Alexander Lyon served as Provost of Aberdeen from 1905-1908. He died 26th April 1926 at his residence on Queen's Road, Aberdeen.
The Provost made the arrangements for the visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra to Aberdeen in September 1906 for the opening of the extension of Marischal College. He was knighted during this royal visit. Lyon was also involved in the beach esplanade between the Rivers Dee and Don.
He held many public posts including; Deputy Lieutenant of the City and County of Aberdeen, a Justice of the Peace, president of the Aberdeen Territorial Army Association, a prominent office bearer in the Aberdeen Seven Incorporated Trades, a member of the West United Free Church, a member of the Cairngorm Club and the director of a number of important local businesses.
In August 1925 Alexander and Lady Lyon celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Inauguration Ceremony
2213 The inauguration ceremony, during the royal visit, 1906, to open the new extension of Marischal College. This Fred Hardie image shows the University's then Principal, Rev John Marshall Lang, reading the inaugural address.
The inauguration took place at 1pm in the Marischal College quadrangle and was attended by various dignitaries and a large crowd.
To the left of Lang, who is holding his address by the granite pillar, is Sir Frederick Treves, rector of the University, Donald Alexander Smith (Lord Strathcona), the University's chancellor, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
See Record of the Celebration of the Quatercentenary of the University of Aberdeen, from 25th to 28th September, 1906 (1907) edited by P. J. Anderson, the University's librarian, for an account of the event and wider celebrations. Stop 6: Annie Inglis MBE (1922-2010), Aberdeen Arts Centre, Catherine Hollingsworth (1904-1999) and Isabella Fyvie Mayo (1843-1914), 31 King Street
2305 Aberdeen's first lady of the theatre Annie Inglis MBE dedicated her life to drama in Aberdeen, founding Aberdeen Arts Centre and inspiring generations to take to the stage. Born Annie Nicol in 1922, Annie studied English at Glasgow University before taking up a career in teaching. She joined the Monklands Rep in the 1940s, perfecting her directing skills which she would use to great effect in Aberdeen where she founded the Attic Theatre Group, an amateur group, which enjoyed an enviable reputation for performance. Over the years Annie founded Aberdeen's Arts Carnival, Texaco Theatre School, and Giz Giz Theatre Project for Youth. When the Arts Centre was threatened by closure in 1998 Annie ran a hugely successful campaign to save it involving many famous theatre actors who had trod the boards there.
Born in 1904 in Brechin and known by local folk as the 'speakin'wifie' Catherine Hollingworth started her teaching career in 1927 and might have remained a drama teacher but for the road traffic accident in 1933 which led her to use her learning to address the injury to her own speech. This ignited a lifelong interest in speech therapy at a time when there were very few speech therapists. While another pioneer of the profession Lional Logue (as dramatised in The King's Speech) was supporting King George VI in London, Catherine was appointed as the first superintendent of Speech & Drama and Speech Therapy in Aberdeen. In 1942 she founded the Children's Theatre, which went on to develop an international reputation. She had the theory that if you allowed children to play only to children, with no adults in the audience, their creativity and imagination would be much greater.
Another woman of culture associated with 31 King Street was Isabella Fyvie Mayo a prolific poet and novelist who wrote under the pen name Edward Garret. Although she was to spend most of her life living in Aberdeen, Isabella was born in London in 1843. She was also a pioneering translator for Tolstoy and became not only his friend but was also friends with Mahatma Gandhi. She became an ethical anarchist, pacifist, anti-imperialist, anti-racist and suffragette campaigner. In 1894 she was elected a member of the Aberdeen School Board, the first woman elected to any public board in Aberdeen and it is in this building that the Aberdeen School Board convened. Union Terrace
2498 A postcard showing Union Terrace from its junction with Union Street. The sign for the Grand Hotel is visible on the left. The Central Library and St. Marks Church are visible at the end of the street. The statue of Edward VII is on the right. King Edward Statue Unveiling
2709 An Adelphi Series postcard showing the public unveiling of the statue of King Edward VII at the corner of Union Bridge and Union Terrace in October 1914.
A large crowd assembled for the event despite inclement weather. The statue, which was funded by public subscription, was designed by Alfred Drury and unveiled by Lord Bryce. It replaced a statue of Prince Albert that was moved to the area in front of the Central Library at the other end of Union Terrace.
Aberdeen Local Studies hold two copies of this postcard. In reference to the statue, someone has written on the rear of one: "Very nice. If you saw it you would say they could cut anything in granite".
The other postcard appears to have the latter part of a longer message dating from the First World War period. It is addressed to Camille Briendo at Châtéau de Nantes and reads "I hope I shall be accepted but as I am slightly short-sighted, I may be rejected. Perhaps I shall see you before this war is over. As soon as I know, I shall write you. As long as I am here I shall".
Also of interest in the postcard's image is a large sign for James Bannochie & Sons at their premises at 19 Belmont Street. They were a well established firm of plasterers and tilers in Aberdeen. James Bannochie died aged 70 on 29 June 1909.
The roof of the building at 49 Belmont Street, then known as the Trades Hall, and what would eventually become the Belmont Cinema, is painted to read "Coliseum". The Coliseum Cinema was opened on 22 August 1910 and was run by Messers Walker and Company. Scenes at Proclamation, Aberdeen
2710 An Adelphi Real Photograph Series postcard showing the proclamation of King George V at the Castlegate on 10 May 1910.
The statue of the Duke of Gordon can be seen in its original position. Photographers are within the statue's fenced off area. A small public fountain is located in front of the statue.
The scene at the junction of Union Street and King Street is very busy. A procession of dignitaries files past ranks of soldiers. Two dogs can also be seen milling around. Statue of King Edward VII
2714 An Adelphi Real Photography Series postcard (no. 314) showing the statue of King Edward VII by Alfred Drury, presumably shortly before its installation at the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street in 1914. Esslemont & Macintosh
3136 Esslemont & Macintosh on Union Street, decorated for the royal visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to open the Marischal College extensions on 27 September 1906.
The building on the right of this image, then the corner of Union Street and Broad Street, was sold to Aberdeen Town Council in 1927. It was purchased to enable the widening of Broad Street, but was not demolished until around 1970. |