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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. 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agreed to a recommendation from City Librarian Peter Grant to hold a sale of more than 30,000 books which had been withdrawn from stock for various reasons.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Best sellers included children's books purchased by play groups, out of date encyclopaedias and Whittaker's Almanacs, and bound volumes of National Geographic Magazine.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".
Samuel "Sammy" Martin
2627 A photograph of Samuel Martin taken from East Neuk Chronicles by William Skene (1905). Martin was the self proclaimed "Hatter to the People" and a well known figure in his day. His hat shop was located at 34 Union Street. He died on Saturday 7th January 1888 and is buried in Nellfield Cemetery. A book about his life by Edward Ranson was published in 1996 called The Mad Hatter of Aberdeen: The Life and Times of Samuel Martin. Aberdeen Theatres: Libraries' book sale
3378 This photograph shows the queue for the first ever Public 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".
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 £3,645 for the purchase of new stock. Aberdeen Cinemas: Picture House / Gaumont
3406 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph showing the exterior of the Gaumont Cinema at 181 Union Street in October 1972. Promotion for Doomwatch, the British science-fiction film, Cabaret, starring Liza Minelli and The Concert for Bangladesh can all be seen.
This image dates from when the Rank Organisation, the cinema's owners, applied to Aberdeen City Council for permission to demolish the venue and redevelop the site for shops and office space.
As detailed in Michael Thomson's book Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) the Rank Organisation had a special department that considered cinema sites they owned that could be profitably redeveloped by the company. Aberdeen was experiencing a pre-oil property boom and the early 1970s saw the closure and redevelopment of a number of cinemas.
The final night of the Gaumont was Saturday 6th October 1973. The last film to be shown as The Lovers with Paula Wilcox and Richard Beckinsale. This photograph was used in the preview of the cinema's final night in the Evening Express of the day before.
The majority of the cinema was demolished not long after. The façade of the upper floors was retained as it was listed as of architectural and historic interest. The site laid empty for some time due to the financial recession of 1974-75 and subsequent uncertainty over its occupancy. In 1976 the site was redeveloped as a Job Centre and shops.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. John Knox United Free Church
3805 A photograph of John Knox U. F. Church on Gerrard Street.
This image, credited to "G. Brodie, Aberdeen.", is from page 44 of a book of the bazaar held by Aberdeen City Libraries. The book is called Life of John Knox: with an account of John Knox Free Church and its Ministers. Issued in connection with Bazaar to be held in Music Hall Buildings, Aberdeen on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 26th, 27th, 28th., 1899 (1899).
The photographer is most likely Geddes Mackenzie Scott Brodie, an Aberdeen photographer who died at Yoker, aged 50, on 16th April 1919 (see Aberdeen Daily Journal, 8th July 1919, page 2).
This new church building was built during the ministry of Rev. Robert Macleod. It cost around £6,000 and was opened in January 1900.
At August 2021, this church is occupied by the Gerrard Street Baptist Church congregation. Rev. Robert Macleod
3806 A photographic portrait of Rev. Robert Macleod (c.1845-1927). He was the minister at John Knox United Free Church on Gerrard Street between 1883 and 1915.
Macleod was a native of Wick and was the father of J. J. R. Macleod, Nobel prize winning discoverer of insulin for the treatment of diabetes. Robert Macleod died in Edinburgh on 9th June 1927 and was buried in Aberdeen's Allenvale Cemetery. An obituary for him can be found in the Press and Journal of 10th June 1927, page 8.
This photograph is from a plate facing page 40 of a book of the bazaar held by Aberdeen City Libraries. The book is called Life of John Knox: with an account of John Knox Free Church and its Ministers. Issued in connection with Bazaar to be held in Music Hall Buildings, Aberdeen on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 26th, 27th, 28th., 1899. (1899) Treasure 26: Sweet Red Riding Hood, His Majesty's Theatre, 1906
199 Monday 3 December 1906, 7.30pm. His Majesty's Theatre opens its doors to a brilliant audience and a grand production of the pantomime "Red Riding Hood". Our month's treasure features the pantomime's "Book of Words" printed to promote the event. Few things have been more intimately associated with Christmas than the popular family entertainment known by the name of pantomime.
The word, borrowing of Latin pantomimus (mime, dancer) and coming from the Greek pantóminos ("imitator of all") took the meaning of a drama or play performed without words at the beginning of the 18th Century. Later traditionally performed at Christmas, it incorporates colourful costumes, slapstick comedy, songs and audience participation...
Plots of pantomimes include a number of stock character types: the "principal boy" (the central young male figure, who is sometimes played by a female actor), the "pantomime dame" (always played by a male actor in drag), the villain and other comic characters. In "Sweet Red Riding Hood" at His Majesty's Theatre in 1906, loud calls were directed at the players; Miss Lyuba Lova, a reportedly fascinating Red Riding Hood, Miss Winifried Harbord as Boy Blue and Mr Willie Garvey who made a most amusing Mother Hubbard.
By selecting "Red Riding Hood" for the opening pantomime, the director of His Majesty Theatre, Mr Robert Arthur, made a happy hit as the traditional children's story attracted many people, young and old. Because it was a pantomime, the legend got almost lost in the musical and operatic melange but the performance was well applauded by both the public and the press. The pantomime, written by Frank Dix and composed by Jullien H. Wilson, was divided into two acts - the first in four scenes and the second in five scenes. The "Book of Words" contains the script, photographs of the actors and some local adverts.
For the first two nights of the pantomime, bookings were reserved for Debenture and Preference shareholders only, of which there were a considerable number, as nearly all the money for the new building has been raised locally. The pantomime, which ran till the end of the year, was greeted with whole-hearted applause from start to finish.
Treasure 72: George MacDonald Victorian Children's Books
274 In our Local Studies collection we hold a number of works by Victorian author George MacDonald. He wrote extensively over his lifetime in a variety of genres yet it is probably for his fantasy writing that he is most highly regarded. He is sometimes referred to as the founding father of modern fantasy writing and subsequent renowned writers C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien drew inspiration from his work.
MacDonald's novels "At the Back of the North Wind" (1871); "The Princess and the Goblin" (1872) and its sequel "The Princess and Curdie" (1882) are titles that we are still familiar with today and, as a result of their enduring popularity, they continue to be reprinted and sold nearly 150 years after they were first published.
In common with other popular fiction from the Victorian period, they were originally serialized and instalments appeared in Good Words for the Young - a magazine which aimed to provide wholesome literature for children to read.
The editions of George MacDonald's children's books in our collection are all printed by Glasgow firm Blackie & Son Ltd whose business activities included bookselling, publishing, printing and book production. Their children's publications are notable for their colourful covers and striking illustrations.
View the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on our touchscreens to find out more about the Victorian author and his varied works.
Tragedy of Douglas; or, The Noble Shepherd
488 This broadside advertises a play on Saturday 20th November 1813 at the Theatre Royal on Marischal Street. The play is Douglas; or, The Noble Shepherd. Printed locally by John Booth of North Street, the broadside modestly declares the play to be of equal quality to any production outside of London.
Accompanying the play were comical songs, a ballad, and a reworking of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew by David Garrick, titled Catharine & Petruchio.
The broadside indicates locations that tickets may be bought, the "Public Library" and the "Musical Repository", and other productions available for viewing. The play's cheapest ticket, for the gallery, cost 1 shilling. This was approximately half a shilling shy of the cost of a loaf of bread (Aberdeen Journal, 7th July 1813).
Douglas was a five-act tragedy authored by John Homes. Performed first in 1756 Edinburgh, it was a resounding success, with productions put on across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, travelling as far a field as North America. That being said, that week's edition of Aberdeen's Journal only gave the announcement of the play's arrival one line, buried in the third page.
The play's contents was often changed by Home, depending on its audience. The play examines the deep tension between Scotland's people and its nationhood, particularly in regard to Scotland's cultural independence from Britain. On the play's first night in 1756, the play so inspired one playgoer with patriotism that he shouted "Whar's yer Wully Shakespeare noo!" in the middle of the performance. (Megan Stoner Morgan, Scottish Literary Review, vol. 4, no. 1 (2012)).
The play also left a deep impression on the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume. Regarding the broadside, it is interesting to note that Douglas, not the Shakespearean comedy, was the headline act.
The play's protagonist, Douglas, is played by an H. Johnston, most likely a 36-year-old Henry Erskine Johnston. A portrait of him playing the title role is held at the National Portrait Gallery. Impressively, he also serves as Petruchio in Garrick's Catherine & Petruchio. Likewise, other actors play characters in both productions. |