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The 'City of London'
2006 The 'City of London' was launched in April 1844 from the yard of Robert Napier at Govan on the River Clyde, having been built for the Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company and designed by John Duthie, Jnr of Aberdeen. She was regarded as 'the largest and most magnificent iron steamship ever yet built in any part of Her Majesty's dominions' - with the exception of 'Great Britain'. She was constructed entirely of iron, but her deck and the ornamental parts of her cabins were fitted out in oak. She was 231 feet long and measured 1116 tons, and was powered by two engines each of 130 horsepower. This would make her one of the fastest vessels on the Aberdeen - London voyage. She had berths for 110 passengers, with spacious, elegant cabins. The salon was furnished with sofas and chairs covered in green Genoa velvet, while ornamental coloured glass and mirrors produced a warm light.
Her first voyage to London was in July 1844, when her cargo included 600 boxes of salmon and 215 cattle. Her return voyage was completed in under 38 hours - five hours faster than any other vessel had achieved.
By 1870, she was taken off the run, and disposed of. A new 'City of London' was launched in 1871, and she was an even faster vessel and used about 100 tons of coal on each return journey. Treasure 32: George Washington Wilson South Africa Photography Collection
2320 George Washington Wilson is one of the great names in 19th century photography, famous for capturing images of people, buildings and landscapes across Scotland. His photography drew attention to the beauty of his country, but his travels further afield are not as well known.
As an innovative pioneer in photography, George Washington Wilson's work reflected the reality and attitudes of society during his lifetime (1823-1893). In our collections we hold a vast selection of photographs and portraits taken by the G. W. Wilson Company in South Africa. These images were taken by his son, Charles Wilson, and Fred Hardie, a company photographer of George Washington Wilson & Co.
The company's photographs of South Africa captured scenes of the country which would have been perceived as unusual and exotic to British people at the time.
South Africa and its Treasures
The majority of British colonization was concentrated in South Africa during the 19th century. In the past, the country was colonized in order to control one of the main trade routes to India. Due to the abundance of resources such as spices and tea, European interest in Africa increased dramatically in the late 19th century, especially with the discovery of gold and diamonds in the 1860s-1880s.
On their return to Britain, George Washington Wilson & Co presented many photographs showing these natural resources, from the Robinson Gold mine in Johannesburg to De Beers Diamond Mines in Kimberley.
Tea was also a very valuable resource, and people in Britain were keen to learn more about its production and its use in South Africa.
Photography and Tourism
The collection held by Aberdeen City Libraries shows local places of interest in South Africa. These photographs capture Cape Town and Johannesburg, two of the biggest cities in the country. Many Europeans emigrated to these cities in the 19th century, due to the discovery of valuable resources in the surrounding area.
With the rapid rise of tourism in this period, George Washington Wilson & Co. looked for new ways to promote and sell their work. Around 1880-1890, they started to commercialize their photography via picture postcards, a relatively new concept in Britain. This new form of media met with huge success as it was easy to write and cheap to send. It soon became the standard way to communicate with friends and family when abroad, a holiday tradition which remains today.
The postcards, in colour and having a standard size, featured many different scenes from South Africa and were viewed as an innovative way to publicize the country - and the works of photographic firms such as George Washington Wilson & Co. Malcolm Miller
3813 This photograph shows the ship the Malcolm Miller docked in Aberdeen Harbour with a crew onboard.
The boat is moored at Jamieson's Quay in the Upper Dock. The Harbour Office on Regent's Quay and the tower of the Citadel at Castlegate can be seen in the background.
The Malcolm Miller was a schooner built by John Lewis & Sons Ltd. for the Sail Training Association. It was a 300-ton vessel with a sail area of over 7000 square foot and had engine propulsion for use in narrow waters.
The ship's launch on 5th October 1967 was reported in the Evening Express newspaper of that day. The Malcolm Miller was officially launched by Lady Miller, and it was named after the late son of Sir James, former provost of Edinburgh, and Lady Miller.
During its time as a Sail Training Association vessel the Malcolm Miller provided nautical experiences to many youngsters. It had a sister ship called the Sir Winston Churchill.
The vessel has an entry on the Aberdeen Built Ships website that details its later history.
This image comes from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department. Glenmuick Parish Church
4223 A photograph looking south from Bridge Street in Ballater towards the front elevation of Glenmuick Parish Church. A small part of Ballater's war memorial can be seen seen on the left.
Glenmuick Parish Church was built in 1873-74 to a design by Aberdeen architect John Russell Mackenzie (1833-1889). Describing its historical importance on their listed buildings portal, Historic Environment Scotland state the following:
"Francis Farquharson, and later his brother William, planned Ballater in the late 18th century, following the discovery that the Pannanich Wells across the River Dee were deemed to have miraculous healing qualities. This led to a steady stream of visitors and Ballater was planned as a village that could house them. The village was based on a rectilinear plan with the church at its centre. This early church was a simple building with a wooden steeple and was built to accommodate the people of the three surrounding parishes - Glengairn, Tullich and Glenmuick. It was consecrated in 1800.
"With Queen Victoria's interest in Balmoral in the 1850s and the arrival of the railway to the town in 1866, Ballater grew more prosperous and the older church was thought not be sufficiently in keeping with the new more prosperous town and the present church was built."
The war memorial in the bottom left, designed by Sir John J. Burnett, commemorates soldiers who died in World War I and II. It was unveiled on 23rd July 1922 (Press & Journal, 24th July 1922).
This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department. Treasure 64: Ho Sho Maru Logbook (1869)
240 The Ho Sho Maru was the first iron-clad warship in Japan. It was built in 1868 by Aberdeen shipyard Alexander Hall & Co. The gunboat was a barque rigged steamer equipped with two 110-pound and two 60-pound guns on deck. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a number of logbooks from Aberdeen-built ships, including the log book detailing the maiden voyage of the Ho Sho Maru from Aberdeen to Japan.
The vessel was ordered by the Choshu clan and brokered by Fraserburgh born trader and industrialist Thomas Blake Glover. The Choshu were one of the two main actors, with the Satsuma clan, in the rebellion against the Tokugawa Shogunate. The rebellion led to the Meiji Restoration and enormous changes in the political and social structure of Japan. |