Quick Search
|
Search Results
You searched for: More Like: 'Coronation Celebrations Day-by-day Timetable'
20 items
items as
Statue of Queen Victoria
73 A photograph showing the statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. The building in the background is the Clydesdale Bank that stands next to M&S today. This fine Italian renaissance style building was originally constructed for the Town and County Bank and opened for business in May 1863.
The statue of Queen Victoria was made from marble and was sculpted by Banff born Alexander Brodie (c.1829 - 1867). The origin of this statue is closely related to another Aberdeen monument, the 1863 memorial statue of Prince Albert by Baron Marochetti, now standing, or rather sitting, in the area in front of the Central Library.
Marochetti's statue was augurated by Queen Victoria herself on 13th October 1863 and this was said to the first time the Queen had appeared at a public demonstration following the death of Albert in 1861. The Marochetti statue was the subject of great local controversy and there were various plans for an alternative, superior, memorial to the late Prince Consort. It was at a related meeting that a chap called Alexander Donald, from the Royal Tradesman of Aberdeen, moved "That a colossal statue in marble, of Her Majesty, be erected at the corner of St. Nicholas Street."
The endeavour was taken on by a variety of prominent citizens and funding was raised by public subscription. Brodie, the selected sculptor, worked on an 11-ton block of Sicilian marble for two years to complete the statue. The finished piece is 8 foot 6 inches in height and, at the request of Queen herself, depicts Victoria in Scottish regal attire. The statue stands on a substantial plinth of pink Peterhead granite.
The statue was unveiled and inaugurated on 20th September 1866 by Albert-Edward Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VII and the subject of another of Aberdeen's notable statues. During his speech at the ceremony, the Prince said "Gentlemen, it has afforded me the greatest satisfaction to attend here today, by the wish of Her Majesty, and at your invitation, for the purpose of inaugurating a statue of the Queen, my dear mother. Her Majesty has desired me to express to you how much she appreciates the motives which have led the people of Aberdeenshire to give this lasting evidence of their attachment and loyalty to her person, of which she has so many proofs, and whose sympathy in her great sorrow has touched her so deeply."
During his visit, the Prince of Wales also received the Freedom of the City and attended the Royal Horticultural Society's Autumn Show, which was then going on in the Music Hall. An extensive account of the unveiling, the Royal visit and the town's celebrations is given in the Aberdeen Journal of 26th September 1866.
After some time at this location, the statue's marble began to show weathering due to the frost and so it was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888, where it remains to this day. It stands at the foot of the building's splendid main stairway. The plaster model of Brodie's statue has also been on display in the Music Hall for many years.
A new bronze statue of an older Victoria, by sculptor Charles Bell Birch, was erected at the St. Nicholas Street location on 9th November 1893 and "the Queen" became a regular meeting place for generations of Aberdonians. To make way for the extension of Marks & Spencer, the 1893 statue moved to its current site at Queen's Cross on 22nd January 1964. Victoria now stands looking east towards Balmoral. Aberdeen Central Library
333 Aberdeen Central Library was designed by George Watt but has been added to over the years.
This image shows the library decorated for the city's celebrations of the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra that were held on Saturday 9th August 1902. The new monarchs had been crowned the previous year.
The decorations on Schoolhill and Rosemount Viaduct were carried out under the direction of Mr Stewart, superintendent of Stewart Park.
See the Aberdeen Daily Journal of Monday 11th August 1902 for an extensive report on the coronation celebrations. European Cup Parade
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. Schoolhill decorated for a royal visit
776 Schoolhill, showing Aberdeen Art Gallery, the entrance to Robert Gordon's College and Gray's School of Art.
This image shows the buildings decorated for the city's celebrations of the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra that were held on Saturday 9th August 1902. The new monarchs had been crowned the previous year.
The decorations on Schoolhill and Rosemount Viaduct were carried out under the direction of Mr Stewart, superintendent of Stewart Park.
See the Aberdeen Daily Journal from Monday 11th August 1902 for an extensive report on the coronation celebrations. Duthie Park
1772 The opening of the Duthie Park in September 1883. The park was officially opened by Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria. The park had been gifted to the city by Miss Elizabeth Crombie Duthie in 1880. Members of the Choral Union, who took part in the ceremony are standing in front of the platform.
Queen Victoria was originally intended to perform the opening ceremony but she sustained an accident earlier in the year and was unable to undertake the engagement. Princess Beatrice, the Queen's youngest daughter, then residing at Balmoral Castle, officially opened the park in her place on 27th September 1883.
The day was declared a public holiday and there were great celebrations throughout the city, concluding with a huge fireworks display over the River Dee. Victory Day picnic at Culter
2741 A photograph of a Victory Day picnic held at Culter on 8th June 1946. Victory Day was a national celebration of winning the second world war. It was a day of pageantry, military parades and community events. In the north of Scotland the celebrations were characterised by merry making and a focus on fun events for families and children, as shown in this image from Culter. Victory Day picnic at Culter
2742 A photograph of a Victory Day picnic held at Culter on 8th June 1946. Victory Day was a national celebration of winning the second world war. It was a day pageantry, military parades and community events. In the north of Scotland the celebrations were characterised by merry making and a focus on fun events for families and children, as shown in this image from Culter. Victory Day picnic at Culter
2743 A photograph of a Victory Day picnic held at Culter on 8th June 1946. Victory Day was a national celebration of winning the second world war. It was a day of pageantry, military parades and community events. In the north of Scotland the celebrations were characterised by merry making and a focus on fun events for families and children, as shown in this image from Culter. Queen's Cross in 1911
4271 A photograph showing the procession organised in Aberdeen to celebrate the coronation of George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953). The image shows the procession passing north up St. Swithin Street and across Queen's Cross. A number of trams and horse drawn gigs are shown outside the lines of spectators.
This photo is taken from the Aberdeen Bon-Accord and Northern Pictorial coronation souvenir number published on 12th May 1937, page 55. This special issue celebrated the crowning of George V's son, George VI (1895-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002).
This photograph illustrates an article by journalist William Diack (1871-1942), part of a series looking at the changes in Aberdeen between the coronations of George V and VI. Diack's article is titled 'Scotland has witnessed Coming of New Age and the Triumph of Youth' and discusses the changing political scene in the city during the period.
The caption for this photograph reads as follows:
"This was the Aberdeen procession on June 22, 1911, the day of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. The procession is just reaching Queen's Cross by way of St. Swithin Street, the photograph having been taken from the belfry of Rubislaw Parish Church. Note how the fashions have changed. Horses predominated then, this time motor vehicles will be in the majority. And women's fashions! Well, there's just no comparison possible." Stonehaven-Bervie Bus
4272 A photograph showing a busy Stonehaven-Bervie horse drawn bus about to start its journey. It is taken from the Aberdeen Bon-Accord and Northern Pictorial coronation souvenir number published on 12th May 1937, page 87. This special issue was published to commemorate the crowning of George VI (1895-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002).
This photograph is one of a number illustrating an article titled '"One Hundred and Six Years - Six Sovereigns - Four Coronations - One Lifetime" Mrs. Caird's Great Record'. The article is about the life of a long-lived resident of Stonehaven called Grace Caird, nee McPhail (1831-1937), who was known as the "Grand Old Lady of the North East." At the time of her death late in the year, she was reputed to be the second oldest woman in Scotland (The Scotsman, 27th November 1937, page 16).
The caption accompanying the photograph reads as follows:
"In Granny Caird's young days the horse bus and stagecoach called regularly at the mill in Stonehaven. Here we have the Stonehaven-Bervie 'bus' about to take its departure. It passed nearby Granny's home in Kinneff daily, but in those days Mrs Caird thought nothing of walking 20 miles a day. The 'bus' was a luxury that could be only indulged in at frequent intervals." Treasure 59: City of Aberdeen Coronation Celebrations Programme, 1953
235 This month we pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who became the longest ever reigning British monarch on 10 September 2015.
On 21 April this year Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 90th birthday and on 11 June will take part in the Trooping The Colour ceremony to commemorate her official birthday.
We feature a selection of local material celebrating her Coronation which took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. Aberdeen celebrated the Coronation with a full programme of events designed to interest the whole community including inter-city sports meetings, a grand procession, historical pageant, youth festival and many more.
Find out more about these events in our interactive exhibition on touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries.
|