4

George Washington Wilson's photographic works at St Swithin Street, showing the female workers laying out the glass plates to dry in the sun.

9

The premises of George Washington Wilson, photographer, in St Swithin Street.

13

Old houses skirting St Nicholas churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. They were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and the present wall and railing stand in their place. On the other side of Schoolhill (centre) can be seen the roof and turrets of George Jamesone's House, demolished in 1886.

14

St. Nicholas Bells, 1887. The great fire of 1874 swept through the East Kirk of St. Nicholas, totally destroying the oak and lead steeple and sending the great bells crashing to the ground. A decade later, the citizens of Aberdeen combined to replace the bells with a great peal of bells cast in Belgium. The bells arrived at Aberdeen Station on May 11th 1887 and were paraded through the city with great pomp and ceremony.

15

St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen

17

St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen, showing the east window of 1840s, replaced in 1882.

19

Busy scene in Broad Street in 1833, showing buildings on the left hand side which were demolished for the extension and frontage of Marischal College. The archway at the left led through to the original buildings of Marischal College and the original Greyfriars Church. The Water House, surmounted with a pediment and clock, was erected in 1766 as a reservoir for the town's water supply. The clock and its bell were transferred to the City Hospital in 1899. Byron lived with his mother in the tenement block next to the turreted building. On the west side of the street, the tall building in the distance was the first office of the North of Scotland Bank.

28

Loch Street in the 1980s. Far left, corner of the new Co-op building (1970); left background, St Paul's Street School (then Aberdeen Education Authority's Music Centre); centre, the Swan Bar, Post Office, The Buttery (A B Hutchison). All demolished for the Bon Accord Centre.

32

Holburn Junction, looking towards Albyn Place (right) and Holburn Street (left), with Holburn Central Church in its original form (left), Babbie Law's sweet shop (centre) and the UF Christ's College (right). Babbie Law's corner was redeveloped in the late 19th century.

34

Engraving of Northfield Mission Church and School, Gilcomston. Drawing by Andrew Gibb. Popularly known as 'Laing's Kirkie', Northfield Mission Kirk was opened in Leadside Road on 10 November 1850. The building was designed and funded mainly by Alexander Laing, coachbuilder, as part of the Free Church Mission in the Northfield area of Gilcomston. At that time the area had a bad reputation and poor housing conditions. In 1863, Mr Laing handed over the chapel to the charge of the Free East Church, and the school was transferred to the School Board. Although the new Rutherford Church opened in 1870, the Mission Kirk continued its work.

35

Engraving of Christ's College, Alford Place. Designed by Thomas Mackenzie 1850. It was a building to train ministers for the Free Church. Now occupied by "The College" bar (2007).

46

Collison's Aisle, St Nicholas Church. Aberdeen. This George Washington Wilson photograph shows the memorial stones inserted in the west wall of Collison's Aisle. Originally called Aisle of the Holy Blood, it formed part of the north transept between the East and West Churches of St Nicholas and was renamed after 1594, although it probably dates from the 14th century. Members of the Collison family held important civic offices at various times, including Provost in 1521 and 1594, and their place of burial was in this aisle. The memorial stones commemerate Andrew Cullen, Thomas Menzies and his wife Mariene Reid, and Sir John Rutherford. Andrew Cullen was a merchant and Provost of Aberdeen in 1506 and 1535, and the stone shows a sculptered coat of arms above the words "Andrew Cullen Prepositus Abd". Thomas Menzies was Provost in 1525 and (for 40 of the next 50 years), only leaving office in favour of other members of his family. He married Mariane Reid of Pitfodels. The stone has two panels above a shield bearing the Menzies coat of arms, flanked by the initials T.M. The second panel has the initials M.R. and a shield with the Menzies and Reid coats of arms. Beneath is the motto 'Spero in Deo et ipse faciet' - Trust in God and he will perform'. The third stone commemorates Sir John Rutherford of Tarland, first elected Provost of Aberdeen in 1483 and every alternate year until 1492, and again between 1496-1500. He probably died about 1520.

60

Allenvale Cemetery from Kincorth with Abbotswell in the foreground. The Duthie Park has yet to be landscaped. St Machar Poorhouse, Fonthill House and Devanha House are seen in the background.

70

Print of Old Aberdeen drawn by John Slezer. General view with the Crown Tower of King's College and the spires of St Machar's Cathedral in the distance. The small building in the right foreground was the Snow Church - St Mary ad Nives - which was demolished in the 1600's, although part of the burial ground survives.

72

Statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St Nicholas Street. The statue of Queen Victoria was sculpted by Alexander Brodie. The statue was inaugurated in 1866. The marble began to show weathering due to the frost and was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888. The plaster model of the statue can still be seen in the Music Hall.

73

Statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St Nicholas Street. The statue of Queen Victoria was sculpted by Alexander Brodie. The statue was inaugurated in 1866. The marble began to show weathering due to the frost and was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888. The plaster model of the statue can still be seen in the Music Hall.

78

St Nicholas Street at its junction with Union Street, showing the statue of Queen Victoria (right). The premises of H. Samuel the jewellers is on the left.

81

Union Bridge, Aberdeen, from Bridge Street, looking east. The spires at the left belong to Kirk House, later a restaurant and bar, and to St Nicholas Church. The corner of the Palace Hotel is just visible at the right.

84

Union Street looking towards Holburn Junction. This section of the street was originally known as Union Place. The spire is that of Gilcomston South Church. Note the railings round the basements of the houses.

87

St Nicholas Street looking up the Netherkirkgate. The old Frigate Bar is seen in the middle distance with the Wallace Tower to its right. The buildings on the right were demolished in the 1960s to allow Marks and Spencer to extend their store across the Netherkirkgate. The Wallace Tower was relocated to a site near Tillydrone and Seaton Park.

88

Union Street at the junction with St. Nicholas Street. The marble statue of Queen Victoria at the corner of St Nicholas Street was removed to the Town House to prevent further erosion of the marble and a bronze statue of the older Queen was erected in the 1890s.

89

Union Terrace Gardens looking towards the Union Bridge. The spires of St Nicholas Congregational Church are on the left. The gardens were laid out in 1891-3. The chimney belonged to Hadden's textile factory in the Green.

90

Queen's Cross, Aberdeen, looking west. Rubislaw Church (architect J. Russell Mackenzie) 1875, is on the right. The structure in the centre of the street was part of the tramways system and was later removed to Hazlehead Park.

103

Wallace Tower in the Netherkirkgate looking towards St Nicholas Church. The tower never had any connection with William Wallace. It is believed to have been the town residence of Sir Robert Keith of Benholm. The name "Wallace" may have been a corruption of "well-house". The Wallace Tower was re-sited at Tillydrone in the 1960s. Silver City Vault user Ed Fowler suggests that the ornamental building shown on the left at the end of the Netherhirkgate, next to the horse and cart, is the Dyers' Hall. The name refers to the Dyers' or Litsters Society who were once an important and wealthy industrial group in Aberdeen. Newspaper notices suggest the building was used as a public house, where societies regularly met, and that it, and other buildings, were demolished in around 1807 to make way for a new street between Union Street and Tannery Street.