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Waterloo Station
641 This photograph shows the corner at the end of Regent Quay in the late 19th century. The building in the centre of the image, with pediment, is the offices of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and to its left is the entrance to the Waterloo Railway Station.
The railway station was opened by the company on 1st April 1856. It was built to supersede an existing station at Kittybrewster. Waterloo was once the station for all railway passengers and goods going between the city and the north.
Trains coming and going from the south stopped at a nearby, but unconnected station on Guild Street. It had opened two years earlier in 1854 and was operated by rival railway company, the Scottish North-Eastern. Passengers with connecting trains would need to dash along Trinity and Regent Quay or wait for a bus. Connections were not guaranteed.
It took Parliament to settle the differences between the companies. This saw the construction of the Joint Station, opened in November 1867, and the creation of the Denburn Valley Railway. Both Waterloo and Guild Street subsequently became stations for the transport of goods only.
The buildings shown in this photograph were altered and eventually demolished in the 20th century. Remnants of the station can still be seen today in a small yard and the railway line following the old canal path and joining the main tracks heading north at Kittybrewster.
On the right of this image can also be seen an building, likely a goods shed, of the Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Company. This passenger ship service was founded in 1865 and had offices at 43 Marischal Street.
The building to the left of Waterloo Station, far left here, was the site of an establishment called Berry's Hotel and served as various pubs until the late 1960s. It looks like it was closed or being refurbished at the time of this photograph.
To the left of this image would be Commerce Street and Regent Quay. Waterloo Quay would begin to its right. Castle Street
673 A view of the buildings at Castle Street prior to their demolition for the construction of the new Town House (1867-1874) designed by Peddie and Kinnear.
The entrance to Broad Street is visible in the left foreground. The entrance further on is to Huxter's Row, which turned west and ran behind these building to exit on Broad Street. The Lemon Tree Hotel and the Bon-Accord Hotel were located on this lane. The former soon moved to 7-9 St. Nicholas Street.
Past the fortified facade of the Tolbooth, and its prominent spire, can be seen the entrance to Lodge Walk and Archibald Simpson's North of Scotland Bank premises, opened in 1842.
The signs in the shop windows likely give notice of imminent closure. A sign for Alexander Badenoch, an outfitter, can be seen at 12 Union Street. Further down, at what is likely Chapman and Co., tailors and clothiers, "Great bargains" are advertised.
In addition to the gas lamps and pollards, there is array of traffic on the cobbled street. Two night watchmen stand talking on the left. A Gordon Highlander, presumably coming from the nearby Castlehill Barracks, is outside Badenoch's shop. Two fishwives carry leaden creels to market. A large dog sleeps outside Chapman and Co. and various horse drawn vehicles are shown. Aberdeen Public Soup Kitchen
1191 Aberdeen Public Soup Kitchen was first established as a charity in 1800 in St. Mary's Chapel in St. Nicholas Church. It supplied a breakfast of coffee and bread and a lunch of bread, soup and a piece of beef or mutton to the needy of the city. In a period of nearly 240 days it supplied over 140,000 servings of soup and bread.
The Soup Kitchen moved to Loch Street in 1838 and this new building was opened by Lord Provost Stewart in December 1894. The ground floor dining room had accommodation for at least 50 people and the tables were marble topped. In 1926, a total of nearly 27,000 meals were provided with funding still coming from charitable donations since few could afford even the two pence (1p) for the lunch.
The building survived major developments in the surrounding area but in recent years its charitable purpose was no longer thought necessary, and it was converted into a café in the mid 1990s. In 2022, the building still stands at 41-43 Loch Street, with the covered walkway for John Lewis and the Bon Accord Centre to its south (to the left of this image). It is occupied by a outlet of the Jo Malone London fragrance and candle store. Central School (Aberdeen Academy)
1458 In 1901, Aberdeen School Board planned to build a new central higher grade school and plans were drawn up by John A. O. Allan for a building on the corner of Schoolhill and Belmont Street. The new school was opened in November 1905. It planned to cater for pupils aged 12 - 15 years coming from all the town's elementary schools, with over 1,000 on the roll initially. In 1954, the school changed name to become Aberdeen Academy, and its intake comprised those pupils who successfully passed their 11+ exams in Primary 7. The school closed in 1969 and the pupils moved to the newly built Hazlehead Academy. The building became a Resources centre for the Department of Education and then in the late 1990s became a shopping centre named "The Academy". 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. 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. Castlegate
2316 A busy scene at the Castlegate. Many trams can be seen coming and going, while buses idle nearby. The No. 8 Corporation Tramways bus is in the foreground of the image. The premises of wholesale fruit merchants Veitch, Moir and Erskine can be seen below the Citadel. 446 and 448 Union Street
2615 This photograph of Union Street was taken in 1936 and shows the premises of John Raffan, shoe fitting specialists, at 446 and Dugan & Mitchell, clothiers, at 448 Union Street.
James Dugan and Duncan Mitchell entered into partnership around 1919. Mitchell had previously been in the former's employment as a cutter.
Dugan had worked as a tailor on his own account since about 1907 in premises in Bon Accord Street, Rose Street and 443 Union Street. Prior to this he was a commercial traveller representing two local tailoring firms; Messers Milne and Low and Messers Kenneth McLean and Sons.
He became a well respected figure in the tailoring and clothing trade in Aberdeen and the North East. He was the son of a china merchant in George Street called Hugh Dugan. James was married and had a daughter. He died suddenly at his residence at Glen-Shiel, Bieldside on 10th May 1927.
Duncan Mitchell was a native of Largs, Ayrshire and served his apprenticeship in Glasgow. He was a keen golfer and was a member of the Deeside Golf Club. He died aged 73 after a short illness in January 1955.
John Raffan died on Sunday 10th June 1906 after suffering an apoplectic seizure in his Union Steet shop the preceding Friday. He was 52 years old at the time of his death. He was born in the parish of Ordiquhill and his father was a shoemaker named James Raffan.
He served his apprenticeship in Portsoy with a draper called James Guthrie before coming to Aberdeen. He worked with Messers J. & A. Gibb and Mr James Saint, warehousemen and silk mercers, prior to starting his own business as a boot and shoe merchant in Market Street and then Union Street.
Beyond his business, Raffan was deeply involved in religious and philanthropic work. He was a force in the establishment of Union Grove Baptist Church and was connected to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, as a life member, the Aberdeen Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, the Seabank Home, and Stronach's Close Mission. He was married and had a daughter and two sons.
Above the shop fronts is a sign for Imperial Typewriters. The buildings in this photograph were across the road, just west, from the Capitol Cinema. They are still visible today. In more recent times they have been occupied by general food shops such as the Co-operative and Costcutters. Dyce
2744 An aerial view of Dyce. The view is looking broadly south west over the village.
The railway can be seen towards the centre of image. Victoria Street runs parallel more towards the foreground. Gordon Terrace, with its war memorial can be seen coming off, heading towards the lower left of the image.
The date of the image is uncertain. It appears to predate the development of the airport to the west of the railway lines. March Stone 30
3212 This stone is located in a field north west of Wynford. At the back of the field, opposite the junction of the Clinterty/Blackburn road and that coming the north east from the Craibstone Estate. The stone is marked "30 ABD". The line of the marches from number 29 has followed the Littlemill Burn.
An older saucer stone mentioned in 1698 and 1780 survived until some time after 1929.
The Blue Book states that the stone is at the confluence of the Tulloch and Blind burns, which at this point form the Black burn.
The book also states that an agreement, dated 3rd August 1597, between the Town Council and Andrew Fraser of Stoneywood and Clinterty defines the boundary stones 30 to 34.
A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use.
The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers. Aberdeen Cinemas: West End / Playhouse
3415 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Playhouse at 475 Union Street in January 1959. The venue originally opened on 12th November 1915 as a cinema called the West End. This was the first venture into full-time picture-hall proprietorship by James F. Donald, a key figure in the history of independent cinema exhibition in Aberdeen.
Donald was born in Newhills and came to Aberdeen for an apprenticeship with a coachbuilding firm. He had a varied career before coming to prominence as a highly successful dancing teacher. He was the leader of the Gondolier School of Dancing and Deportment.
He moved into the cinema business after acquiring the necessary projecting equipment and occupying a former billiard hall above the Aberdeen Dairy at 475 Union Street. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) describes the cinema as a "strictly utilitarian affair", but a successful one at that. It was only heated by stoves, and coupled with being above a diary, it became known as "The Tuppenny Freezer".
Donald's lease on the cinema expired in September 1920 and he was immediately followed as proprietor by Bert Gate's Aberdeen Picture Palaces. It was a time of expansion for the incoming company. They had recently purchased The Picturedrome on Skene Terrace and shortly looked to transform the West End. The latter closed on 2nd April and reopened on 14th September 1921 as the 1,000-seater Picture Playhouse.
The opening ceremony was attended by Gates, the cinema's architects George Sutherland and Clement George, and various local VIPs. The opening films were A Yankee in the Court of King Arthur, a comedy called Jerry on the Spot, Pathé news, and another short. Thomson states that Aberdeen Picture Palaces were "now the proud possessor of a large, well-situated 'flagship' house, and Union Street now sported a fine up-to-date cinema."
The design of the Playhouse was "classical" and up-market, in accordance with its prominent west-end location. As seen here, the Union Street entrance was surrounded by white Sicilian marble facings on a black marble base. The paybox was oval in shape with one end in the vestibule and the other in the front foyer.
The main foyer was through the Union Street part of the building and up a 12-feet wide carpeted, marble stairway. This way was a tea room called the Ingleneuk, the manager's office, and the ornately decorated auditorium. The plush new cinema represented competition for the nearby Picture House.
Bert Gates, the manager of the Playhouse, was somewhat sceptical of the talkies but fully embraced the new development in February 1930 with the installation of a full Western Electric sound system.
The opening of Aberdeen Picture Palace's Capitol down the road in 1933 saw a reduction in ticket prices at the Playhouse. The two partner cinemas were advertised at the time as "Aberdeen's Premier Pair".
On 23 May 1941 it was announced that James F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas) Ltd. had bought a controlling interest in Aberdeen Picture Palaces. This meant that the Playhouse, along with the other APP venues, were now in the Donald circuit of cinemas.
This photograph dates from 1959 shortly before the cinema was relaunched as the Playhouse Continental, showing popular, often more risqué, films from Europe. This only lasted for a couple of years and the cinema reverted to being the Playhouse in 1961. This photograph shows the cinema advertising The Wind Cannot Read with Dirk Bogarde and All for Mary.
By 1973 the profitability of the Playhouse was eroded by spiralling costs. The owners of the building, builders James Scott & Son, had moved premises and were looking to dispose of the Union Street property. The cinema's lease was terminated at the end of 1973 and the cinema closed on 9th May 1974. Ownership of the block passed to Devanha Properties Ltd. and after lying empty for a few months the Playhouse was demolished to make way for a new block of shops and offices.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Aberdeen Cinemas: Regent / Odeon
3417 The Regent was opened as the second, companion cinema of Jack Poole, after his transformation of the Palace on Bridge Place that had opened in 1931. The Justice Mills location was selected and the cinema was constructed on the eastern end of the historic Upper Mill. A cinema was able to utilise the sloping nature of the site in the way few other projects could.
Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) states that work progressed on the new cinema at an excellent rate with virtually all material and labour coming from local sources. The sparkling Rubislaw granite frontage was the work of masons Edgar Gauld of Gilcomston Terrace. Wood for the joinery work came from Sweden and Finland.
The Regent was Aberdeen's first all-new cinema since the Torry Picture House a decade before. It was also the first cinema designed by Thomas Scott Sutherland, who had previously been a designer of, and dealer in, houses, notably the granite bungalows of the Broomhill estate.
The impressive new cinema opened on Saturday 27th February 1932, to an audience mostly of guests, with the main feature being a melodrama called Over the Hill. Reporting on the opening, the Evening Express wrote the following:
"Even though Aberdeen has many magnificent edifices, there is nothing quite so distinctive as the modern design of the front of the new Regent. Fine use has been made of straight lines and curves placed in sharp contrast, and the face that looks through the entrance to Justice Mill Lane on Holburn Street has an imposing dignity about it and yet an elusive gaiety in its composition. It is built of grey granite decorated with bands of red terracotta, and a polished black granite base."
The frontage was floodlit by night and outlined by Aberdeen's neon display. Above the gantry was the large, neon "Regent" sign which made the cinema a beacon at night. The Regent and the Palace were then advertised as "Aberdeen's Super Two".
The Regent's manager John K. Stafford Poole, son of Jack Poole, was aged only 21 when the Regent opened and his innovative promotion and displays became a signature of the cinema. The younger Poole regularly invited the Gordon Highlanders to screenings and in return they would afterwards march, pipes a-skirl, through the cinema and along Union Street back to their barracks.
The Regent proved hugely popular and was soon out-performing the Palace. The success of Poole's Regent prompted Aberdeen Picture Palaces to undertake the creation of their own super-cinema, the Capitol, which would open in 1933. The same year also saw the release of King Kong and the publicity stunt of a human dressed as an ape rampaging on the frontage of the Regent.
On 16th July 1936 it was announced that another southern company called County Cinemas had acquired all the Poole picture houses, those in Devonport, Derby and Plymouth, as well as the Palace and Regent in Aberdeen. In 1939 County Cinemas merged with the larger Odeon chain. In July 1940 the "Regent" sign came down to be replaced with one that read "Odeon". As part of this powerful national circuit, the cinema could rival any in Aberdeen for showing major features.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Matthews' Quay
3532 A photograph taken from Matthew's Quay looking east into the Tidal Harbour and beyond.
The image depicts multiple docked fishing vessels with registrations from Kirkcaldy, Methil, Banff, Inverness and Aberdeen.
The last ship in the first row is the fishing liner Sickle (BF1787) which was built by George Innes & Son in 1894 in their Three Creeks yard in Portknockie. It was later broken up in 1919.
Seen in the second row of ships is the Favourite (INS163) owned by W. Cormack. This is an Inverness registered steam drifter which operated from 1907 until it was scrapped in 1937.
The last ship seen in the second row is the fishing drifter Diligence (BF172) built by John Duthie, Sons & Co. in Aberdeen in 1906. Its first owner was George Falconer in Banff which explains the BF designation. After coming into the ownership of Thomas and Andrew Adam in Kirkcaldy it was re-registered with the designation KY164 in 1913. The Diligence was later broken up in 1936.
To the right can seen the steam liner White Rose (A149). A Buckie Advertiser article from 23rd November 1899 mentions it being built for a client in Aberdeen and being towed to the city by its sister ship the Caledonia. It was renamed the Silverna on 8th July 1922. On 14th February 1929 it was sold for breaking up. It was the first steam powered fishing vessel built in the Buckie district.
In front of the White Rose can be seen the Unity (INS450) which was launched from Buckpool in 1896 and belonged to J. Ralph and W. McPherson.
The presence of the Diligence with the designation BF rather than KY suggests that this photograph was taken before 1913 while the presence of the Favourite (INS163) suggests the photograph was taken after 1907. Matthews' Quay
3533 Photograph taken from Matthew's Quay looking east into the Tidal Harbour and beyond.
The photo depicts multiple docked fishing vessels with registrations from Kirkcaldy, Methil, Banff, Inverness and Aberdeen.
The last ship in the first row is the fishing liner Sickle (BF1787) which was built by George Innes & Son in 1894 in their Three Creeks yard in Portknockie. It was later broken up in 1919.
Seen in the second row of ships is the Favourite (INS163) owned by W. Cormack. This is an Inverness registered steam drifter which operated from 1907 until it was scrapped in 1937.
The last ship seen in the second row is the fishing drifter Diligence (BF172) built by John Duthie, Sons & Co. in Aberdeen in 1906. Its first owner was George Falconer in Banff which explains the BF designation. After coming into the ownership of Thomas and Andrew Adam in Kirkcaldy it was re-registered with the designation KY164 in 1913. The Diligence was later broken up in 1936.
To the right you can see the steam liner White Rose (A149). An 23rd November article from the Buckie Advertiser mentions it being built for a client in Aberdeen. It was towed to Aberdeen by its sister ship the Caledonia. It was later renamed to Silverna on 8th July 1922. On 14th February 1929 it was sold for breaking up. It was the first steam powered fishing vessel built in the Buckie district.
In front of the White Rose can be seen the Unity (INS450) which was launched from Buckpool in 1896 and belonged to J. Ralph and W. McPherson.
The presence of the Diligence with the designation BF rather than KY suggests that this photograph was taken before 1913 while the presence of the Favourite (INS163) tells us that the photograph was taken after 1907. Sandilands and John Fleming
3826 An aerial view of Sandilands Chemical Works looking north along Miller Street, shown on the left. Baltic Place, Garvock Wynd and Baltic Street can be seen coming off Miller Street to the east.
The offices of John Fleming & Company, timber importers, at 2 Baltic Place is the low building in the centre of the image at the bottom. Additional timber processing building belonging to the firm are shown behind and to the right. Queen's Cross in 1911
4271 A photograph showing the procession organised in Aberdeen to celebrate the coronation of George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953). The image shows the procession passing north up St. Swithin Street and across Queen's Cross. A number of trams and horse drawn gigs are shown outside the lines of spectators.
This photo is taken from the Aberdeen Bon-Accord and Northern Pictorial coronation souvenir number published on 12th May 1937, page 55. This special issue celebrated the crowning of George V's son, George VI (1895-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002).
This photograph illustrates an article by journalist William Diack (1871-1942), part of a series looking at the changes in Aberdeen between the coronations of George V and VI. Diack's article is titled 'Scotland has witnessed Coming of New Age and the Triumph of Youth' and discusses the changing political scene in the city during the period.
The caption for this photograph reads as follows:
"This was the Aberdeen procession on June 22, 1911, the day of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. The procession is just reaching Queen's Cross by way of St. Swithin Street, the photograph having been taken from the belfry of Rubislaw Parish Church. Note how the fashions have changed. Horses predominated then, this time motor vehicles will be in the majority. And women's fashions! Well, there's just no comparison possible." 42 St. Paul Street (paint works)
4340 A photograph showing buildings at 42 St. Paul Street in around 1986 or 1987.
This image is one of a series taken by Aberdeen City Council to record buildings prior to the redevelopment of the area and construction of the Bon Accord shopping centre.
This image shows part of the wall of the former paint works at the corner of St. Paul Street and Drum Lane. The latter alley led south east to Upperkirkgate and would have been located to the right of the frame. On the opposite side of the street shown here was St. Paul Primary School.
Looking east, the spire of the Mitchell Tower of Marischal College can be seen in the background.
These buildings were demolished to make way for the Bon Accord Centre. The only part of St. Paul Street which remains today is a small section coming west off the Gallowgate, providing access to a Bon Accord Centre service area and parking for the Portland Club. The shopping centre covers the majority of the former site of the street. 42 St. Paul Street (east of 42)
4341 A photograph showing a wall to the east of 42 St. Paul Street during 1986 or 1987.
This image is one of a series taken by Aberdeen City Council to record buildings prior to the redevelopment of the area and construction of the Bon Accord shopping centre.
Looking south, this wall was likely part of building connected to the former paint works at 42 St. Paul Street. Further east along the street was a printing works at nos. 16-18.
This building and its surrounds were demolished to make way for the Bon Accord Centre. The only part of St. Paul Street which remains today is a small section coming west off the Gallowgate, providing access to a Bon Accord Centre service area and parking for the Portland Club. The shopping centre has covers the majority of the former site of the street. Aberdeen Market 20 - view from foyer area
4396 This photograph by Roddy Millar looks west down the main corridor of the Aberdeen Market building.
It gives a good representation of the initial view a visitor would encounter having came in via the large Market Street entrance, located to the rear of this image.
On the left can be seen Ai to Ai, offering cosmetic treatments for eyelashes and eyebrows, Aberdeen Vinyl Records is further on, identifiable by the baskets of records, then D&S Discounts and Dream Beauty Studio at the very rear.
On the right, starting at the back and coming forward, is Outfits, Combo Café & Restaurant, Liberty Hair and the Market Heel & Key Bar in the foreground.
The Market Heel & Key Bar offer shoe repairs, watch batteries, luggage, shopper trolleys, belts, key cutting and slippers. Due to the closure of the Market, this business moved to nearby premises at 88 Union Street.
Photograph taken on 26/02/2019. 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.
Regent Quay from the Harbour
426 This image was digitised from Artistic Aberdeen: A Sketch Book (1932) by W. S. Percy.
The book describes the scene as follows:
"Regent Quay from the Harbour, with Shore Brae, a glimpse of Shiprow and the houses climbing up to the towers of the Town House and Marischal College. Few more enchanting sights or approaches to the city of Aberdeen could be imagined than this, as coming by sea, one leans over the ship's rail in the early sunshine of a summer's morning. The city climbing up from the harbour and the gleam of glinting granite make an unforgettable picture. This drawing sees the scene in the most charming romantic light." Act for regulating and augmenting the Dues payable to the Pubilic Metters, at the Shore
481 This Act of Aberdeen's town council regards the regulation of dues payable to 'metters' - seemingly council employed officials that work with goods coming through the port. The Act dates to 3rd July 1797.
A council commissioned committee surveyed the operation of Aberdeen's Lime and Coal Metters. Having conducted a year long survey on dues from 'Grain, Meal, Coals, Cinders, Bark and Salt' coming by way of the shore, the committee recommended that the metters should receive a pay rise. This was unanimously agreed by the council.
The text is appended by Alex R. Carnegie, likely a council clerk. City Election. At the numerous and highly respectable Meeting of the Burgesses, Heritors, Merchants, and Inhabitants of the City of Aberdeen
508 This broadside likely dates to June or July 1832, as it refers to a city council meeting on 26th June 1832. The meeting was attended by burgesses (a guild of inhabitants of the Burgh), monied people, merchants and general inhabitants of Aberdeen. The meeting was held at the Royal Hotel and regarded the motion of Captain Carmichael. This was likely Robert Carmichael, captain of 42nd regiment, resident of Union Terrace (City of Aberdeen, and its Vicinity, 1831-1832, p. 23).
Alexander Crombie (1762-1840), a highly successful teacher, chaired the meeting. The meeting aimed to pass motions in support of James Hadden, provost of Aberdeen, in anticipation of his election bid for the Aberdeen seat in the House of Commons. This was a new seat, formed after the 1832 Scottish Reform Act.
For the prior three decades, the Hadden family had dominated local Aberdeen politics. However, in the run up to 1832, they were coming under increasing pressure from pro-reform Whigs, notably Alexander Bannerman. Bannerman made a variety of allegations against Hadden regarding his practices in local government. The Tories supported Hadden, but in the end he withdrew from the race, and Bannerman was elected to the new seat unopposed (W. Hamish Fraser and Clive H. Lee, Aberdeen 1800-2000: A New History, pp. 178-180).
The motion of the meeting suggested supporting Hadden, celebrating his work in the local council over the decades. The motion was carried. In his speech after the motion, Hadden professes support for necessary reform of the structure of burghs (constituencies), associated with the forthcoming Scottish Reform Act. The meeting thus formed a committee for arranging Haden's election campaign.
This broadside was printed by J. Davidson & Co. of Aberdeen. |