453

A photograph showing school children on the roof top playground of Frederick Street Primary School in around 1907. This was one of very few such playgrounds in the city, perhaps one of only two. The Central School on Schoolhill also had a comparable, roof-top playground for at least some of its history. Frederick Street School opened in 1905 and had a role of 332 infants and 764 senior/junior pupils. The unusual, elevated playground measured 750 square feet.

652

Aberdeen Football Club's open top bus parade of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. The photograph looks north west across Union Street towards its junction with Union Terrace. Aberdeen defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in the final held in Gothenburg, Sweden on 11th May 1983. The conquering heroes landed, cup in hand, at Aberdeen Airport at 14.40 the next day. The team received a rousing reception and were given a celebratory cake on arrival from an offshore catering company. It was then on to the open top bus for the journey from Dyce to Pittodrie. Grampian Fire Brigade lined-up their engines outside their Anderson Drive headquarters as a unique guard of honour for the team as they headed for the city centre. As shown here, the city streets were packed with fans of all ages, including some who had travelled back from Gothenburg. Lord Provost Alex Collie, the Queen Mother and Margaret Thatcher all provided messages of congratulations. Celebrations ended at a teeming Pittodrie. Aberdeen FC had another triumphant tour through the city centre only 10 days later after they beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park. The match was on the Saturday 21st May and the parade in Aberdeen was the next day.

883

A team photograph of Culter Football Club from the 1931-32 season. Local historian Brian Coutts has been in touch with names for some of the people shown: The fourth from the left,of the five men in the back row is David Sangster. The middle row, of nine men, starts on the left with T. Emsie, the club secretary. 4th along is G. Petrie and the 5th is Arthur Jackson. The front row, starting again from the left, is A.J. Moir, H. Wilson, L. Cooper, W. Jamieson and an unknown 5th man. Brian also suggests that the trophy at the front might be the Archibald Cup.

943

Stoneywood Works Home Guard. Back Row: Unknown, Unknown, Charlie Thomson, Hector Emslie, Unknown, Bill Irvine, Ed Coutts, John Reid, Jim Smith, Alick Duncan (engineer), Dick Grant, A. Kilgour. 3rd Row: Ralph Davidson, Bob Lawrence, Arthur Smart, Ed McDonald, John Menzies, Bill Kane, Alfred McPherson, Harry Duncan, A. Baigrie, Tom Mitchell, Bill Davidson, Alex Robb, Jim McLean, Bill Denholm, George Sangster (sawmiller). 2nd Row: Gordon Wilson, Jim Davidson, Jim Ross, Unknown, Andy Lawson, Charles Esson, Frank Rundle, Bill Bartlett, Alick Duncan (cutting & rolling), Neil Littlejohn, Bert Campbell, Willie Robbie, Bill Forbes, David Findlater. Front Row: Bill Thomson, Val Michie, Bill Ross, Jack Beveridge, Bill Kitson, Harry Jordan, Jim Murray, Cozens Hardy, Jack Stewart, Jim Duncan, Bert Spence, Bill Pirie, John Sutherland, Alick Davidson, Bill Wright.

946

A team photograph of Culter Juniors Football Club in 1911. Local historian Brian Coutts has been in touch with names of the individuals shown (all from left to right): Back row - D. Guild, P. Low, J. MacDonald, W. Duncan, C. Dunbar, J. McAra, J. Milne and J. Ogilvie. Middle Row (kneeling) - G. Insch, C. Allan and J. Milne. Front row - J. Reid, Alastair Thomson, J. Agnew, G. McKenzie and J. Fraser. Silver City Vault visitor David Allan suggests that the C. Allan in the middle row looks like his uncle, Charlie Allan, who lived in Culter's Clayhills cottages.

1000

Peterculter Parish Council: Water inspection at Denmill 1909. Back Row: W Thomson. Front Row: F Morrison, Builder; R Benzie, Waterman; John Clark, Clerk; unknown; Mr Skene, Aberdeen.

1022

A group photographic portrait of the Cluny tug of war team from 1910.

1046

An image looking south showing Cults Station from Ashfield Road. The exact date of this photograph is unknown but it is thought to be from around the 1940s.

1048

Cults and District Recreation Club performed "Mains' Wooin'" in East Church Hall 1923. The players are named as: Piper - G. Wilson, J. W. Robertson, W. Christie, W. A. Thompson, John Kidd, unknown, Jack Morrison, A. Ironside, Bert Anderson, Miss Robertson, Miss Skakle, Peter Walker, John Forsyth, Miss Skakle, Dr Robert Bruce, Mrs Pirie, Miss Ironside, W. Ironside, Miss Robertson, W. Marshall. Front of stage: T. Ambrose, J. Milne, John Salthouse, unknown, D. Kidd, M. Morrison, D. Kidd, John Lovie, J. Adams, Jack Meston.

1449

An illustration of Broadford Works, Aberdeen showing the textile factory in its Victorian heyday. Broadford Works has a long and varied history. The first mill was built on the site in 1808 for Scott Brown and Company of Angus. It is the oldest iron-framed mill in Scotland. John Maberly MP bought the site from a bankrupt Scott Brown in 1811. He partnered London banker John Baker Richards in 1825 and, bought out in turn by John Temple Leader in 1831, was declared bankrupt the next year. The site, between Ann Street, Maberly Street and Hutcheon Street, was for many years the base of textile firm Richards & Company. See the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives team's catalogue entry for their Richards plc records for more information about the company and site.

1526

A photograph of the Bon Accord Church that was located on Union Terrace. The building was previously known as Union Terrace Chapel. In 1827 a number of the Trinity Chapel congregation split off after unsuccessfully supporting Rev. Gavin Parker, then working in Dundee, as a candidate for the then vacant ministry. The new congregation and Parker purchased Union Terrace Chapel from a struggling Baptist congregation in 1828. It opened as a Presbyterian place of worship with a service on 27th July 1828. For some years it operated as a chapel of ease before an reformist Act of the General Assembly was passed that erected chapels of ease into parishes quoad sacra. The building then became known as Bon Accord Church. During the ministry of Rev. Hector M. Adam, the Bon Accord United Free Church congregation sold this Union Terrace building to the Aberdeen School Board and had new church buildings constructed on Rosemount Viaduct. These new buildings opened on 3rd September 1896 and still house an active congregation today. The building on Union Terrace appears to have served as School Board, and possibly Aberdeen County Council, offices before being demolished at an unknown date during development to the street. For more details on this building and the Bon Accord congregation, please see The Churches of Aberdeen by Alexander Gammie (1909, page 92) and Bon-Accord United Free Church, Aberdeen: a Retrospect of 100 Years 1828-1928 (1928). Both books are available to consult at Aberdeen Local Studies.

1578

A studio portrait of an unknown young woman. The marker's mark in the bottom left identifies the photographer as from the studio of John Laird. It was active in the early 20th century and was located at 246 Union Street.

1603

A studio portrait of an unknown woman and an unknown dog by the Nottingham based photographer Eramus F. Bostock.

1645

A photographic portrait of two women, employed as domestic servants, in the garden setting. This image is thought to be from Aberdeen. The names of these women are unknown.

1655

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1658

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1659

Photographic portrait of a man wearing the sash and medallion of the Order of Free Gardeners. The Free Gardeners were a friendly society founded in Scotland in the mid-17th century. Newspaper reports indicate that the Order was considerably active in Aberdeenshire until at least the mid-20th century. An article in the Press and Journal of 2nd May 1949, page 6, records the address to the North of Scotland district delegation in Aberdeen of the retiring Worthy District Master Charles I. Crighton. Crighton reports a drop in local membership of the Order, both among the adult and juvenile branches, largely crediting this to the introduction of the National Health Service. The district adult membership stood at 5124, a drop of 110, and a juvenile membership had decreased by 206. This photograph of an unknown Free Gardener likely dates from the early 20th century.

1673

Group photograph of Army Unit. Subjects Unknown. Photograph probably taken at the Buddon Camp 1914

1695

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1702

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1710

The name of the individuals and the class shown here are unknown. The board held by the child in the centre looks like it says Commerce Street at the top. The rest is more difficult to read. The line below may read "Senior I", suggesting that the children shown here might be around 11 to 12 in age. Records for Commerce Street School are held by the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives (under reference ED/AT5/1). The online catalogue entry for these records indicates that Commerce Street was the first new school completed by Aberdeen School Board and was opened on 13 March 1876. The school closed on 30 June 1925 and the pupils were transferred to Hanover Street School. Thereafter the Commerce Street School buildings were used as the infant department of Hanover Street School. The photograph likely dates from sometime in the early 20th century.

1726

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1790

This photograph was taken in 1951 by James Kellas and looks east showing, on the left, the rear of Brae Farm, located on Morningside Road, and part of 142 Morningside Avenue on the right. There was originally a Brae Farm to the north west of this location that can be seen the Ordnance Survey map published in 1869 (Aberdeen Sheet LXXV.14). Just to the north of the old farm on the map is a single Aberdeen Water Works reservoir. An article from The Leopard magazine by Diane Morgan (October/November 1985) explains that in 1885 an Aberdeen Corporation Water Act was passed to empower the Town Council to take eight million gallons daily from the River Dee and to build a second reservoir at Mannofield. This was to keep up with the city's rapid population increase. To carry out the expansion, the council acquired the land adjoining the initial reservoir including the first Brae Farmhouse and its steadings. They then became known as Reservoir Cottage and Reservoir House and served as the home of the inspector of the water works. A relatively early inspector was called William Clark. On 28th February 1898 he died at the cottage aged 64. He was buried in the John Knox Churchyard (Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 02/03/1898, p.4). Clark was likely succeeded as waterworks inspector by James Forsyth. The Forsyth family lived at the cottage well into the 20th century. James was married to Margaret (née Jaffray), who died after him on 28th July 1945, aged 85. Their second son, Sapper John Forsyth, died aged 26 at Oldmill Military Hospital on 20th April 1917. He was buried at Springback Cemetery. The reservoirs continue to play a vital role in supplying water to Aberdeen. The cottage and house however were demolished in the late 20th century and replaced by modern water treatment buildings. As shown on the 1901 OS map, sometime shortly after the passing of the 1885 act the Brae Farm we can see in this picture was built to the south east, where Morningside Road met Auchinyell Bridge. To the east, Aberdeenshire County Cricket Ground was also built around the same time. This later Brae Farm was the home to the Kinnaird family for the first half of the 20th century. The heads of the family were Frank Kinnaird and Margaret Amelia Smith. Their son Lance-Corporal A. G. Kinnaird, of the Royal Scots, was reported as a prisoner of war in Germany in June 1918. Prior to the war he had worked with the Clydesdale Bank (Evening Express, 03/06/1918 p.3). Frank's eldest daughter, Jessie Sinclair, married James Smith Mathieson at Ruthrieston U.F. Church on 7th September 1927 (Evening Express, 08/09/1927, p.6). A younger daughter, Edith Kinnaird, married a man from Portsmouth called Andrew Livingstone in July 1936. The marriage took place in Ruthrieston West Church and the reception was at the Caledonian Hotel (Press & Journal, 06/06/1936 p.8). Daughters Amelia Elizabeth and Margaret Kinnaird both left Brae Farm in the 1920s (1924 and 1920, respectively) to reunite with fiancés who had travelled ahead to Canada. Frank Kinnaird died on 12th August 1950, aged 84. At some point during the 1930s-1950s the residential streets we know today, Morningside Avenue, Terrace and Place were constructed between the reservoir and the new farmstead. These streets take their name from Morningside Farm to the east. As can be seen in this photograph, the farm stood into the 1950s. It was eventually demolished when Morningside Avenue was extended to meet Morningside Road. The newer bungalows can be distinguished by their tiled, rather than slated roofs.

1853

A photograph from 1906 of St. Fittick's Well, located in the Bay of Nigg. An account of the well is given by Thomas W. Ogilvie (1861-1908) in The Book of Saint Fittick, a history of Torry, written and presented as a Bazaar Book to Saint Fittick's Church, Torry, in December 1901. Ogilvie worked as a doctor in Torry for seven years and was prominent in the public life of the district. An account of his life is given in the introduction to a posthumously published collection of his verse, Poems (1911). Ogilvie suggests use the well dates to pagan times and gives an account of its storied healing powers and the tradition of offering gifts in the hope of good health and fortune. He suggests St Fittick, the patron saint of Torry, became the object of these benefactions after the arrival of Christianity. He details the tradition of visiting the area and leaving gifts on the first Sunday of May. Ogilvie writes: "Town Council and Kirk Session struggled by laws and punishments to stop those Sunday wanderings and to efface those vestiges of old superstitions, but the customs of centuries die hard, and to-day young and old, to whom the name St. Fittick is a meaningless term and the repute of his well quite unknown, ramble on Sundays and week-days to the bay once called by his name, and they find the old power still lingers, for the beauty of the Bay, the fresh sea-breeze, and the pure draught from the old spring still bless and heal." The well is understood to have been washed away by coastal erosion in the early 20th century. Its location, latterly its site, is recorded in old large scale Ordnance Survey maps.