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T. C. Smith and Co., Electrical Engineers
43 Shop frontage of T. C. Smith and Co., Electrical Engineers
T.C. Smith & Co. first appear in the Aberdeen Directory for 1913/14 when they are listed as electrical, automobile and power engineers. They had garage space for over 200 cars and eight private lockups, and were open day and night, including Saturday.
The garage, showrooms and office were at 21-25 Bon-Accord Street; their repair and body building shops were at 20-32 Gordon Street. In 1921-22, they had other premises at 18 Bon-Accord Street, and these are shown in the photograph. The windows have a display of all sorts of electrical equipment including lamps, heaters, radios and Hoovers.
The company would appear to have gone out of business around 1943, because in 1946, Scottish Motor Tractor Co. Ltd had taken over their Bon-Accord premises. Rosemount Viaduct at night
239 The illuminated facade of His Majesty's Theatre and St. Mark's Church from Union Terrace Gardens. 'The Queen', Aberdeen Beach, 1883
340 The coal ladden schooner, 'The Queen' driven ashore on Aberdeen Beach in March 1883, during a terrible gale. It was unable to make the crossing of the bar at the entrance to the harbour and a number of the crew, frozen and stiff with cold, were blown off the rigging and drowned in the night. The Pleasure Park, Aberdeen Beach
397 A postcard showing John Henry Iles' Pleasure Park in the 1930s. The park's esplanade site, south of Wellington Street (roughly where Amadeus nightclub/the Range and part of the Queen's Links carpark would later stand), was leased to Iles by the Council in 1929. Illes was an amusement entrepreneur originally from Manchester.
The park's biggest attraction, in all senses, was the Scenic Railway roller coaster shown here. Iles was involved in several amusement parks around Britain and during a visit to New York he obtained the European rights to the design of the latest roller coasters. He subsequently erected his Scenic Railway in Aberdeen in 1929.
The roller coaster rose to 100 feet in the air at its highest point and was popular with holiday makers and locals throughout the 1930s. The local press recorded 21,000 children, between 3 and 14 years of age, carried on the ride during a special children's day that was held on Saturday 20th August 1932.
Part of the message written on the back of this postcard by a young visitor to Aberdeen reads "This picture shows you the scenic railway which I have been on and liked very much".
The Scenic Railway was sadly badly damaged by fire on the night of 5th December 1940 and was consequently demolished. Other attractions of Iles' park included rides such as The Caterpillar, The Whip, Water Dodgems, and the Brooklyn Racers (petrol driven cars).
In the background of this image be seen the tower of St. Clements Church and a row of tenements, likely those on Wellington Street. 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. The Pleasure Park
828 The Pleasure Park at Aberdeen Beach. The famous Scenic railway can be seen in the background.
In 1929 the Town Council leased John Henry Iles a piece of ground adjoining the sea front for use as an amusement park. The pleasure park was located on the esplanade south of Wellington Road.
Iles' park included rides such as The Caterpillar, The Whip, Water Dodgems, and the Brooklyn Racers (petrol driven cars).
The greatest innovation, however, was the scenic railway which rose to 100 feet in the air at its highest point.
The local press recorded 21,000 children, between 3 and 14 years of age, carried on the ride on the "Kiddies Day" that was held on Saturday 20th August 1932.
The ride was popular throughout the 1930s. It was badly damaged by fire on the night of 5th December 1940 and was subsequently destroyed.
Note the tower of St. Clements Church and the row of tenements, likely those on Wellington Street, in the background. Loch Street, Aberdeen
1192 This 1987 view of Loch Street shows the Swan Bar and the Loch Street Post Office just before their closure. These buildings were at the northern end of the area which was to be demolished for the Bon Accord Centre development. The Swan Bar at no34 was one of the older pubs in Aberdeen and its manager for many years was George Baxter, founder of Aberdeen Darts Association. On its last night on 14th April 1987, it was packed with regulars sad to see their favourite haunt closed down. The Loch Street Post Office, which had been opened in 1939 was closed on 13th April 1987, the staff being redeployed to other branches. Fishing boats at night
1768 Fishing boats at the mouth of Aberdeen Harbour, with the caption "Within the haven".
It looks like a steam paddle tug is tow a number of sail fishing boats safety through the harbour mouth.
The South Breakwater is visible in the background of this moonlit scene. A Night-Watchman, 1857
2004 A portrait of an Aberdeen man dressed in uniform. He has a lantern hanging from his jacket and may be leaning on a large cudgel.
This image is used in the book The Diced Cap: The Story of Aberdeen City Police (1972). It features on a plate, opposite page 32, and is captioned as "Watchman 1857".
On page 45, The Diced Cap quotes a report on the state of Aberdeen's law enforcement from 1859 by Scotland's first H. M. Inspector of Constabulary, Colonel John Kinloch of Logie, Kirriemuir.
The highly critical report includes the following passage: "The Constables are divided in the old fashioned way into 'Day Constables' and 'Night-Watchmen'; the latter being so far consider an inferior class that they have less pay and are not thought worth of putting into uniform like the Day Constables, being provided only with a great-coat, flat bonnet, and a big stick!" (The Diced Cap, page 47)
The figure shown in this image very much fits Kinloch's description of Aberdeen's Night-Watchmen. 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. Treasure 11 : East Branch Library (22, Union Street)
2283 Did you know there used to be a small branch library at the east end of Union Street seen here in the 1930s on this image from the Library photographic archive?
A small branch reading room opened on 5 September 1904 located on the first floor of a drapery shop at 34 Castle Street, leased from Baillie George Brown for a sum of £19 per anum.
Since the opening of the Central Library in 1892 there had been an increasing demand for a Library presence in other areas of the city and branch reading rooms were set up with a selection of newspapers, magazines and a small collection of reference books. Castle Street served the east end of the city and proved popular with over 21,000 users by the end of November.
A budget of £25 per anum was allocated for newspapers and periodicals which were supplied by Miss Davidson, of 76 George Street. There were 55 applications for the position of attendant and Miss Lizzie A Douglas was appointed from a shortlist of 6. Opening hours were from 9 in the morning until 10 at night.
Although the lease of 34 Castle Street was intended as a temporary measure it was 1928 before the reading room closed (it was too small and inconvenient) and re- opened at 22 Union Street as East Branch Library and Reading Room.
This image is part of a photographic survey of Union Street in 1936. It shows the Gas Department showroom, 20 Union Street, and the Library Branch, 22 Union Street.
The removal to new premises was described as the "outstanding event of the year" in the library annual report, particularly so as it was Aberdeen's first branch library with over 5000 books available to borrow.
East Branch finally closed in 1953 but memories remain particularly of wet wool coats drying out on the radiators with the smell of "sheep" in the air!!
Stop 5: Aberdeen's First Nursery for Working Women (1871-1874) and Night Shelter for the Homeless (1971-1986), East North Street
2304 In June 1871 a day nursery was established at 13 East North Street for the children of mothers who did laundry and cleaning jobs. It was run by the Aberdeen Association for the Poor, which nowadays is known as Voluntary Services Aberdeen and is Aberdeen's oldest charity. It was for children aged from 6 weeks to 5 years. Prices were one child 3d, nowadays 1p, two children 41/2d, for children from the same family and three for 6d. Prices were increased in 1873 as the nursery was not able to cover its running costs. This did not help and unfortunately the doors closed in May 1874 as it was not feasible for the Association to continue to run it at a loss of £60 a year. A Flower Mission was run instead where volunteers made and brought bouquets of flowers to sick women from the East End and it lasted for twenty years. In 1895-1902 nursery was re-established in the nearby 15-21 Princes Street. This is the site of the first night shelter founded by Mrs Hilda Wernham (1919-2002) in answer to what she saw as the very desperate need of the indigent population in Aberdeen. A justice of the Peace and founding member of the Cyrenians Mrs Wernham was a sparky lady with a social conscience and an ability to inspire others. She managed to persuade business people with her persistence and sense of humour to support the venture. Her enthusiasm and commitment have earned her a place in the history of Aberdeen. Her name lives on at Wernham House (pictured), the first hostel of its kind, established in 1986 at 7 Virginia Street by Aberdeen Cyrenians.
Memories:
Ina recalls Hilda Wernham
Alma's memories of Hilda Wernham and Aberdeen Cyrenians Treasure 34: A Selection of Original Scots Songs in Three Parts
2322 Although the union of the Parliaments between Scotland and England had taken place almost a hundred years before, as the 18th century was drawing to a close there was still much fascination regarding the differing cultures. In time, Victorian society would give this fascination a renewed vigour, helped by Queen Victoria's passion for Scotland - including the establishment of Balmoral Castle as her residence North of the border. Before that time though, in the late 1790s, books were produced offering English readers an insight into their neighbours' traditions.
One such book was entitled 'A selection of original Scots songs' edited by Franz Haydn and published between 1790 and 1794. The book is designed to introduce the reader to the music and lyrics of traditional songs in Scotland. Haydn's book reproduced the songs along with corresponding music, and also offered a glossary to help with the more obscure language.
Burns' song 'My Heart's In The Highlands' - more popularly regarded today as a poem - makes an appearance in the selected works by Franz Haydn. With the collected works produced between 1790 - 1794, this was at a time when Burns began to suffer from the illnesses which would eventually end his life just a couple of years later.
Robert Burns
Celebrated across Scotland every year, Robert Burns Day takes place on 25 January and is an opportunity to remember Scotland's Bard and his work. Known the world over as the National Poet of Scotland, Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) was born in Alloway, Ayrshire. Burns' early life was one of balance; he toiled on his family's farm by day, and was taught reading and writing by candlelight at night. He conversed in Scots, while learning passages from English texts to further his studies. Although regarded by history largely as a poet, Burns also composed many songs - perhaps his most famous work 'Auld Lang Syne' being one of the few traditionally remembered in song form. One of our treasures this month celebrates Robert Burns' work and that of many other traditional Scottish musicians. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Hilda Wernham
2334 A photograph of Hilda Wernham, founder of Aberdeen's Night Shelter for the Homeless, taken from an Evening Express profile of 21st August 1974. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Memories of Hilda Wernham 1
2355 Ina recalls Hilda Wernham, founder of Aberdeen's Night Shelter for the Homeless. The Silver Fin Building
2661 The illuminated office block of the Silver Fin Building towering over Union Street, as seen at night from Rose Street.
The Silver Fin Building was completed in 2017. The building was the work of property agents, FG Burnett and CBRE, acting on behalf of the developer Titan Investors.
The 132,000 sq. ft. development had an estimated starting budget of £65 million. In 2015 the construction contract was awarded to the Sir Robert McAlpine company.
In addition to the tower block, the development includes a new Scottish granite façade on Union Street. Preparatory demolition at the location started in late 2014. It was previously the site of the Bell's Lounge pub.
The building is 13 storeys high, with four car parking floors and nine occupied floors. It sits just to the east of the near contemporaneous Capitol office development.
Privately owned serviced office provider, Orega, let approximately 20% of the building around the time of completion.
The building's name comes from the vertical aluminium fins which form part of its cladding and were designed to catch the light. Old Bridge of Dee
2954 A Delittle, Fenwick & Co. postcard image showing the Bridge of Dee at night. The photograph looks to the south towards Kincorth Hill. Aberdeen Theatres: His Majesty's Theatre
3356 Seating more than 1400, His Majesty's Theatre is the largest theatre in North-East Scotland and is now a category A listed building.
Situated on Rosemount Viaduct, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham and costed £35,000. It was originally built as a replacement for the former Her Majesty's Theatre (now the Tivoli), meeting the need for a larger venue and better staging facilities.
Robert Arthur, the theatre impresario, submitted the plans for the new theatre in 1901. Construction started in 1904 and it opened on the 3rd December 1906 with a production of the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood, of which you will see the programme next in this exhibition. The pantomime played to a full house on its opening night and ran until the end of the year to great success.
Arthur's company presented plays, opera and pantomimes until 1912, when it ran out of funds. Robert Arthur Theatres Ltd. sold the theatre in 1923 to Walter Gilbert, managing director of the Tivoli Theatre. It changed hands again in 1932, after Gilbert's death, when it was bought by Councillor James F. Donald. The new owner refurbished the venue and introduced new features such as a revolving stage and a cinema projector.
In 1975, Aberdeen City council bought the venue, then allocated £3.5 million to give it a new life. After being closed for 23 months, His Majesty's Theatre was reopened on the 17th of September 1982 by Prince Charles.
In 2004, the theatre was once again closed for refurbishment. It reopened in 2005, renovated and modernised with a new green room, a coffee shop and re-upholstered seating. Aberdeen Theatres: HMT programme
3362 The front cover of a programme for His Majesty's Theatre from the mid-20th century. The illustration shows the theatre busy at night and the Wallace Statue across the road. Aberdeen Theatres: Man vs. Stallion at the Music Hall
3373 A glass plate image of the Music Hall on Union Street from the late 19th century.
A young crowd is gathered on the street listening to a brass band. A policeman and bicycles of the time can also be seen.
The advertisements on the steps of the building read "Man vs. Stallion". Using historic newspapers we can work out that this was likely an event called Battle Between Man and Stallion, that took place at the Music Hall on 20th August 1895.
Newspaper adverts from the time read: "To-night at 8, complimentary benefit, and positively the last Five Nights in Aberdeen of Professor Norton B. Smith, THE WORLD'S GREATEST HORSE TAMER, who will handle, on this occasion, the MAN-EATING STALLION, belonging to Mr Youngson Kynoch, Royal Stables, Aberdeen." (Aberdeen Journal, 20/08/1895, page 1) Aberdeen Cinemas: Regal / ABC / Cannon
3396 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Shiprow entrance to the Regal cinema in February 1961. The cinema is advertising showings of Saturday Night, Sunday Morning with Albert Finney, Linda with Carol White and Alan Rothwell, and Pathé News.
The Regal was opened on Monday 26th June 1954 by Associated British Cinema (ABC). The opening of this substantial cinema was the conclusion of a long and much delayed enterprise.
This Shiprow site was previously the location of Aberdeen's first permanent cinema, Dove Paterson's Gaiety. It had later become the Palladium and had laid shuttered for close to seven years when the owner put the site up for sale in early 1937.
Bert Gates of Aberdeen Picture Palaces (APP) put in an offer and made plans to build a very large cinema at the location. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) suggests that had this plan gone ahead it would have made the local company a force with which to be reckoned.
Gate's plans were thwarted however when another offer for the property from ABC (Cinemas) was accepted. ABC were a major cinema operator throughout the UK, at the time second only to the Rank Organisation, which owned the Odeon and Gaumont chains. ABC's arrival in Aberdeen would offer stiff competition to local companies such as APP. Both in terms of having the best venues and having the best films to show in them.
ABC's arrival in Aberdeen did not go smoothly, however. It was not until 1939 that the cinema's plans received official approval. War was declared not long after construction had begun and in 1941 the project was stopped by government restrictions that halted the construction of non-essential buildings where roofing had not already been started. Only the outer shell had been built at Shiprow and the building would subsequently lie incomplete for over a decade.
After much campaigning, including by local MP Hector Hughes, the government finally gave its consent and on 28th October 1953 ABC announced that work on the Regal would recommence. The plans for the cinema were modernised and construction was quickly finished.
The completed Regal was an impressive, modern cinema with a seating capacity of 1,914. Its inaugural film was The Knights of the Round Table and the opening gala was attended by stars Richard Todd and Anne Crawford.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Aberdeen Cinemas: Picture House / Gaumont
3404 Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson explains that by 1950 the Picture House was owned by the Rank Organisation. The British entertainment conglomerate had acquired various cinema exhibition companies: British-Gaumont, Odeon, and the Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (successor company to Associated Provincial Picture Houses). As part of business rationalisation, on 22nd March 1950 the Picture House was rebranded as The Gaumont.
Thomson's Silver Screen indicates that the Gaumont's vertical neon sign dates from the time of the rebranding. In 1956 the design of the cinema was further updated. This saw the introduction of the illuminated canopy and use of the beech design shown here in the redeveloped interior and exterior, replacing the pillars of the Picture House era. A new marble backed fireplace replaced the old one that had been a well-known feature of the cinema since its opening in 1914. The projection equipment and seating were also modernised. This night-time image from the Aberdeen Journals Archive accompanied an article about the Gaumont's new look in the Evening Express of 19th April 1956.
The image shows promotion for a number of films on the cinema's updated exterior: The Rose Tattoo with Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani, Flight from Vienna and Aberdeen Photographic Service's presentation of A Photographic Review of the Royal Tour of Nigeria.
The manager at the time of the Gaumont's redesign was Mr. R. E. Miller. He had managed the cinema since January 1948. In early 1951 Miller converted the upstairs restaurant area, which had laid empty since 1928, into a gallery space. Known as the Gaumont Gallery, it was ideal for photographic exhibitions and was in frequent use well into the 1960s.
Thomson states that during this period Mary Garden, the retired opera singer who returned to Aberdeen in 1939, was something of a regular at the Gaumont. This well-known and much-loved figure would be escorted to her seat by the cinema's commissionaire George Repper, who was also a popular and familiar figure. Repper worked at the Gaumont from 1940 to 1964 and his job was to shepherd queues, attend to patrons and ensure all progressed smoothly.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. 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. |