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Treasure 35: Notes and Jottings of G.M. Fraser
2323 George Milne Fraser had a lifelong interest and expertise in local history; delivering talks (as seen in the December 2015 Treasure), publishing books and numerous letters and articles in the local press. His 'Notes and Jottings' collection comprise over 70 volumes, mostly hand written (including a form of shorthand), which are a treasure trove of information about the local area.
Within these notebooks are newspaper articles and advertisements, photographs, personal correspondence, sketches and many other interesting bits and pieces. Library staff have compiled an index to this invaluable resource and consult it on a regular basis when researching enquiries. It is quite a challenge deciphering his handwriting sometimes!
As a journalist by profession, G. M. Fraser retained his talent for writing and contributed articles to the Aberdeen Free Press, Bon Accord and Northern Pictorial, Evening Gazette, and journals such as the Deeside Field.
His contributions to local literature began in 1904 with the publication of The Green. Historical Aberdeen appeared the following year and after Aberdeen Street Names in 1911 the Town Clerk Depute wrote to Fraser with the words "We must now regard you as our Principal Historian".
The Life and Work of G. M. Fraser
G. M. Fraser was appointed city librarian in 1899 and was the second public librarian in Aberdeen. He can be seen on the far right of this image from the library archive.
His name was known all over the north east and he was mentioned in the chorus of one of Harry Gordon's popular songs, The Auldest Aiberdonian: "I ken lots o' stories G. M. Fraser disna ken". On 30 October 1923 he gave a 15 minute talk on the radio about Castlegate, becoming the first librarian in Aberdeen to make a radio broadcast.
During his term of office there were many developments in the Library service:
- The Central Library was extended in 1905 to include a new reading room
- Branch reading rooms and delivery stations were established throughout the city
- The Juvenile Library in Skene Street opened in 1911
- Open access was introduced in the Lending Library 1925 (find out more about Open Access libraries in the October treasures!)
- Fraser's strongest legacy is the Local Studies collection, which still contains many of our treasures.
G. M. Fraser was remembered very fondly after his death on 7 June 1938. There were many tributes including one from the Library Committee. Perhaps one of the warmest tributes was paid by his successor as City Librarian, Marcus Milne:
"Somehow the Library and G.M. were one. You could not think of the Library without thinking of that kindly figure who was head of it; and one could not meet him without thinking of the building he graced for so long. Mr Fraser had 2 hobbies and work was both of them. He lived for nothing else. The library was ever uppermost in his thoughts and closely allied to his love for the Library was his great love for things Aberdeen".
Mr Fraser's funeral service was attended by many prominent city officials and floral wreaths included one from Lady Aberdeen with the inscription "In affectionate and grateful remembrance of a much valued friend". He is buried in Springbank Cemetery.
In 1955, Aberdeen's first post-war permanent branch library was opened at Northfield and named the G. M. Fraser Branch Library in his honour.
In further recognition of his contribution to the development of the Library service, a commemorative plaque can be found on the front of the Central Library building. Elsie S. Rae
3303 A portrait by Aberdeen's Morgan photographic studio of the poet Elsie S. Rae (1897-1973). She was known for her WWI poems and use of Doric, the local dialect, in her writing.
This image was used as a frontispiece to an edition of her poetry called Private John M'Pherson (1917). Aberdeen Theatres: A Nicht Wi' Burns
3371 The poster for an event at the Tivoli Theatre featuring the songs and music of Robert Burns. The show commenced on Monday 22nd January 1962 and had two performances nightly.
The show was devised and produced by William Cummings. There was a large bill of performers; Calum Kennedy, Billy Stutt, Irene Campbell, Robbie Shepherd, The Garlogie Four, Ken Swan & McGhee ("Scotland's Greatest Ventriloquist"), The Heatherisle Trio ("Scotch with a Beat"), Anne Fields, Moxon Heatherbelles, Irene Adair, Tommy Wright and Will Starr. Ken
3770 A mural by artist KMG depicting of a multi-eyed being, understood to be called Ken, that is advocating respect. This painting is located in the East Green lane under one of the walkways connecting the Indoor Market and Union Street.
This photograph was taken in July 2018.
Treasure 77: The Castle Spectre, 1876 - 1888
288 One of our treasures this month is a rare periodical known as The Castle Spectre. It is unusual as it was printed and published by a Victorian family from their home at 'The Castle', 6 Mackie Place, and later from 'The Galleries' on Skene Street West, and offers an insight into the lives of a middle-class family in Victorian Aberdeen. The copy on display was gifted to the library by the editor, Alexander D Forbes in 1888, and includes a handwritten letter to the City Librarian at the time.
It not only contains amateur poetry, literature, and social and religious commentary, but also sheds a light on a forgotten and mysterious dwelling place in the heart of the city. The area in question is the land behind Skene Street, encompassing Mackie Place, and the grounds of three old houses long since demolished by the Denburn - Cherry Vale, 'The Galleries', and the White House, also known as 'The Castle'.
As long as 'The Castle' at 6 Mackie Place existed (it was built towards the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, according to various reports) it was described as being haunted. No accounts mention a specific ghost, but the eccentricities of the occupant and his young family helped to fuel the reputation for the Castle's hauntings. The first issue of The Castle Spectre (October 21, 1876) states:
"We are the dwellers in that house in the neighbourhood of Skene Street known to the "oldest inhabitants" as the Haunted House, to younger inhabitants as the Castle, and to the Post Office as No.6 Mackie Place. In former days we were "desp'rate wicked". We dressed ourselves in white sheets, and popped out upon passers by, frightening them into fits. We used to scoop out the largest turnips?and having cut out slices to represent eyes, nose, and mouth, light candles in them, and stick them on poles in hedges?We used to lie behind low walls and growl like bears, or caterwaul like cats, whenever any weakly-looking person was passing?In short, we were the terror of the neighbourhood."
View the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries to find out more about the spooky publication and mysterious Mackie Place. Treasure 94: William Beattie's Scotland Illustrated (1838)
313 To celebrate the anniversary of Scotland's National Bard Robert Burns on 25 January, we are showcasing a beautifully illustrated work in two volumes on the history and landscape of Scotland by the physician, poet and writer William Beattie (1793-1875).
Volume I includes descriptions and illustrations of Berwickshire, District of Lothian, Edinburgh, Linlithgow, Stirlingshire, Ayrshire, the Counties of Dumfries and Roxburgh, and Roxburghshire.
Volume II describes the regions of Perthshire, Inverness-shire, Argyllshire, Dunbartonshire, or, The Lennox, Lanarkshire, the Counties of Fife, Aberdeen, and Moray, and Sutherland.
The work includes 121 engravings on steel, from original drawings, chiefly by the architect and artist Thomas Allom (1804-1872) and the topographical artist William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854). Poetry is interspersed throughout the volume is by the author.
The whole work is reflective of the romantic ideology of the power of nature to inspire the poet or artist with ideas of the beautiful, sublime and picturesque.
In his introduction to Scotland Illustrated, Beattie presents to us a poet's Scotland - a land steeped in its mysterious folkloric past and claimed by Beattie as the "Fairy Land of modern times" - influenced in no small part by the great romantic works of Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns.
To see more beautiful examples of 'picturesque' landscape engravings of Scotland, have a browse in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition. Treasure 108: Local Studies Poetry Collection
329 One of our treasures this month is the Local Studies poetry collection.
In terms of treasures it might be thought of as a large golden casket filled with sparkling jewels -each one representing a book of poetry and a veritable treasure in its own right. In common with the rest of the Local Studies collection the main qualification for the inclusion of a particular work is that there should be a local connection. The poet may live/have lived locally or have written about the local area. As might be imagined this has led to the acquisition of a large and varied body of work.
It would be impossible to cover every poet and so a selection has been made. A number of famous, lesser known, male and female poets have been included and hopefully this may give a flavour of what is held within the collection. In "The Bards of Bon Accord" by William Walker the author describes a long tradition of poetry writing in Aberdeen and the Northeast dating back to the 14th century, with poets often writing in old Scots. This tradition continues today with modern poets like Sheena Blackhall and Douglas Kynoch writing both in English and their native dialect popularly known as the Doric.
To learn more about this fascinating collection, have a browse in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition. A Nicht Wi' Burns
360 The poster for an event at the Tivoli Theatre featuring the songs and music of Robert Burns. The show commenced on Monday, 22nd January 1962 and had two performances nightly.
The show was devised and produced by William Cummings. There was a large bill of performers; Calum Kennedy, Billy Stutt, Irene Campbell, Robbie Shepherd, The Garlogie Four, Ken Swan & McGhee (Scottish's Greatest Ventriloquist), The Heatherisle Trio (Scotch with a Beat), Anne Fields, Moxon Heatherbelles, Irene Adair, Tommy Wright and Will Starr. Private John M'Pherson
428 The front cover of a copy of Private John M'Pherson by Elsie S. Rae. It was a WWI poem written largely in Doric and first published in December 1917 by the Aberdeen Daily Journal Office. The Bon-Accord Ballads
436 The frontispiece illustration and title page of The Bon-Accord Ballads by Arthur King, aka Dot. The book of poetry features use of the local dialect of Doric and was published in 1891 by the Bon-Accord Printing and Publishing Company. |