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Old houses skirting St. Nicholas churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. They were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and the present wall and railing stand in their place. On the other side of Schoolhill (centre) can be seen the roof and turrets of George Jamesone's House, demolished in 1886. The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church. Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2). This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house.

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This photograph taken in 1880 from St. Nicholas Churchyard looks north showing a row of houses which stood between it and Schoolhill. These houses were demolished around 1884 as part of an improvement scheme to widen Schoolhill - named after the old Grammar School which stood nearby. A dwarf wall with ornamental railings was erected in place of these buildings and a porter's lodge was removed from Robert Gordon's College to form a lodge for the sexton at the entrance to the churchyard. The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church. Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2). This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house.

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These old houses skirting St. Nicholas Churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. This photograph looks south, across Schoolhill, from in front of George Jamesone's House. The shown buildings were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and a low wall and railing now stand in their place. George Jamesone's House, on the other side of of the street, was demolished in 1886. The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church. Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2).

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A photograph showing Wellington Lodge on the corner of Justice Mill Lane and Holburn Street. The top of Holburn Street, towards Holburn Junction, was previously known as South Street and later as Wellington Place. In the background of this image, on the far left, can be seen the John Smith designed Water House on Union Street. Wellington Lodge stood across the road from Holburn Church, roughly where the Glentanar Bar stands today. It can be seen on the large scale Ordnance Survey town plan and map sheets from the 1860s. The property appears to have belonged to the Whytes of Dalhebity, Cults. For some time Wellington Lodge was the residence of Helen Whyte and she was likely the house's final resident. Helen Whyte died aged 85 on 31st January 1898 (death notice: Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 09/02/1898, p. 4). Newspaper references suggest she was involved in various charitable activities. She was the daughter of Baillie John Whyte, a merchant, and had a brother also called John Whyte (1845-1904), a prominent citizen and advocate. Another death notice indicates that Mary Ann Hardie, of 48 Victoria Road, Torry, was employed for 38 years as the servant for Miss Helen Whyte. Hardie died in 1895 (death notice: Aberdeen Journal, 17/08/1895, p. 4). Newspapers also suggest the villa was the home of Miss Mary Murray Gordon. She would likely have been a relation of James Murray Gordon who was a partner in the same law firm as John Whyte, Helen's aforementioned brother. Wellington Lodge was probably demolished shortly after the death of Helen Whyte. It made way for the extension of the larger tenement buildings on Holburn Street that can be seen in the background of this photograph. The Aberdeen Weekly Journal's 'Granite Chips' column of 17th May 1899 (p. 9) states "A very large and handsome block of buildings for Mr Peter Farquharson has been erected in Holburn Street, stretching from the office of the Union Bank of Scotland to Justice Mill Lane." This most likely refers to this development. David Miller in Archibald Simpson, Architect, His Life and Times 1790-1847 (2006) states that this villa was designed by Simpson for Mrs Yeats of Auquharney (page 174).

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This photograph from the collection of the Aberdeen Journals Archive shows the Majestic Cinema on Union Street in 1972. This super-cinema at 234 Union Street was designed by architect Thomas Scott Sutherland and was built on the site of Aberdeen's first purpose-built picture house, La Scala. A public company called Caledonian Theatres Ltd., with James Brebner of the Belmont as managing director, was formed for the purpose of acquiring the site of La Scala and some nearby buildings and constructing a large new cinema. The Majestic opened on 10th December 1936 with a film called Eliza Comes to Stay as its main feature. In his autobiography, Sutherland states that the Majestic was his finest design. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City suggests that the cinema's style could be described, "without too much facetiousness", as "Sutherland Perpendicular". Sutherland's characteristic long window panels were set in side panels on the building's Kemnay granite front. Decorative neon stripes were placed between each column. At the top of the front elevation was the neon "Majestic" sign and below that, in the centre, was the space to advertise the venue's programme. In 1938 James F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas) Ltd. acquired Caledonian Theatres and the Majestic operated as part of the Donald circuit from then on. In time the cinema closed down with the site marked for redevelopment. The Majestic showed its last film, Kelly's Heroes, on Saturday 29th September 1973. The cinema and the neighbouring Clydesdale Bank building were soon demolished. On the site was built a new £1.5 million office block called Caledonian House. This was opened on 25th February 1976. [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

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Extract from the Fly Man's Book indicating the hanging plots for the productions of Happiness for Sale and Treasure Island. The column on the right indicates the "Line" on which the cloths/borders/legs were hung. [Image from the Aberdeen Performing Arts Archive.]

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A photograph showing buildings at 10-16 George Street in around 1986 or 1987. This image is one of a series taken by Aberdeen City Council to record buildings prior to the redevelopment of the area and construction of the Bon Accord shopping centre. This shows the parts of the buildings that are on top of the shops, their exact purposes unknown but they could be residential. The column type designs of the granite building, featuring mini-pediments at the ground floor, are topped with decorative urn shaped finials. These buildings were demolished to make way for the Bon Accord Centre.

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A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 17/07/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street. This image shows the buildings at the top of Union Street at Holburn Junction. On the far right, at nos. 478-484, is the former cistern designed by John Smith and built in 1830. It was reconstructed in 1900 as a functioning tenement. The smaller, 3-storey 492-494 sits to the left. It has a Sainbury's Local on the ground floor. Historically, this was the location of: A. & W. Alexander, until 1963, fishmongers and game dealer who were noted for striking window displays; William Low & Co., a supermarket famous for its part in the 1964 typhoid outbreak; Joe Harper's Bar; and Beluga, a bar and restaurant. It became a branch of Sainbury's in approximately 2012. The large 3-storey and attic, 3-bay, tenement in the centre of this image is 496-502 Union Street. Historic newspapers show both 498 Union Street and, earlier, 50 Union Place being referred to as Alford House. This may indicate the early history of this tenement. Union Place was the former name of this part of Union Street. Plans for alterations and additions at 48 and 50 Union Place are mentioned in the 'New buildings in Aberdeen' column in the Evening Express, 16/07/1887, p. 2. The plans have been submitted by a photographer called John McMahon. Later newspapers, such as the Evening Express, 01/02/1888, p. 3, feature to-let notices from MacMahon for flats at 50 Union Place. It is therefore suggested that 496-502 Union Street was built around 1887-88 for John McMahon. The continuity of occupation shown in old Post Office directories reinforces this suggestion. The architect of the building is unknown at present. Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record describes the building as a tenement dating from the later 19th century. With classical detailing, it is built of coursed grey granite ashlar with a grey slate mansard roof with lead ridges, and coped stone skews with moulded skewputts. The main (southeast) elevation is symmetrical with a decorative doorpiece to the centre of the ground floor, the doorway flanked by Tuscan columns with modern shop fronts to either side. On the top floor, a pair of segmental-arched windows break the eaves with a curvilinear roof to the centre of attic floor, with Venetian dormers to the flanking bays. Fixture holes and marks for a tram rosette remain on the wall of 496 Union Street where metal brackets were fixed to the outside wall of the building. Their purpose was to support a tramway cable. In this image the ground floor shops are occupied by a branch of Starbucks, at no. 496, and the Enid Hutt Gallery at no. 500. Until at least the early 1980s, 496 was home to a outlet of the Mitchell & Muil bakery and from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century it was a McDonald's fast food restaurant. Prior to Enid Hutt, which opened in Aberdeen in 2013, no. 500 was occupied by Endsleigh Insurance from no later than 1991 until August 2008. In the 1970s and 80s it had been a Church of Scotland bookshop.

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A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 17/07/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street. 220 Union is the tall building in the centre of this image. Historic Environment Scotland's listed building information indicates that it was built in around 1841 and was raised to 4-storeys and an attic circa 1900. The 'New Buildings in Aberdeen' column in the Aberdeen Daily Journal suggests that the above mentioned alterations and additions were undertaken in 1906 to a design by architects Messrs Sutherland and Pirie for the General Accident Insurance Company (ADJ, 17/09/1906 p. 7). George Sutherland (1861-1927) and James Masson Pirie (1877-1929) were in partnership between 1902 and 1907. The 1st to 3rd floors of no. 220 each feature 3 ornate window bays. The first floor windows feature consoled cornices. The 2nd feature keystone cornices and the 3rd keystone pediments. The windows of the 2nd and 3rd floors are divided by pilasters. The building is topped by a decorative attic dormer window, a 'broken' pediment with balustrade and finials. The cornice above the 1st floor runs through 212-228 Union Street, providing a unity to this block. In this image, the ground floor of 220 is occupied by an office of the Scotland-wide solicitors, Digby Brown. This office was opened in around 2015. Before that, from 2003, a property sales outlet of George & James Collie, an Aberdeen law firm which traces its history back to 1841, occupied the space (P&J, 06/05/2003, p.15). This company can now be found further west along Union Street at no. 450. James & George Collie succeeded another local solicitors firm, Ledingham Chalmers, who occupied the ground floor of 220 from 1993 onwards (P&J, 13/01/1993, p. 15). The Granite Mile (2008) by Diane Morgan indicates that the upper floors of 220 once housed a number of offices, including those of advocates, G. H. Bower & Gibb (p. 137). Newspapers indicate they were at this address from the 1910s to the 1960s. The Bowers were a prominent family in Aberdeen business. George Haddon Bower (1871-1950) founded the above firm in partnership with Edward Gibb (1879-1939) in 1917. Bower was married to Amy Garden (1875-1963), one of three sisters of the noted opera singer, Mary Garden (1874-1967). To the left of no. 220 is 222-224 Union Street. This image shows the ground floor occupied by Molly Malone's, an Irish themed pub owned by the Belhaven Group. Diane Morgan indicates that this property was once the townhouse of Patrick Bannerman (1796-1854) and later housed the office of John Rust (1853-1919), city architect (p. 138). From around 1975 to 1986, 224 was the site of The Other Record Shop. This was replaced by The Nile, a Egyptian themed cafe-bar, which operated from 1988 to around 2001. It was followed by The Yard in 2001, which became Stadia, a sports bar, in 2003. Directly prior to Molly Malone's, from around 2011 to 2019, the building housed The Abercrombie Bar. Nos. 224-226 is the only building on Union Street to retain its railings, steps and open basement.

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A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 21/07/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street. The 3 storey and attic building to the left of Starbucks at 208-210 is 212-216 Union Street. Historic Environment Scotland's listed building information suggests this building was erected circa 1841 and that its upper storey and attic were added in the late 19th century. The 'New Buildings in Aberdeen' column in the Aberdeen Daily Journal suggests that the above mentioned alterations and additions were undertaken in 1901 to a design by architects Messrs Jenkins and Marr for Messrs William Coutts and Son, a firm of painters (ADJ, 03/09/1901 p. 7). George Gordon Jenkins (1848-1923) and George Marr (1846-1899) went into partnership in 1878. Following the death of the later, Harbourne Maclennan became a significant architect in the firm and he became the sole partner in 1921 after the retirement of Jenkins. The five bays of 2nd floor windows are decorated with keystoned architraves. The building culminates in twin, highly decorated, curving gables at its attic level. Diane Morgan in The Granite Mile (2008) indicates that this building was previously known as the Central Chambers and was home to George Watt & Stewart, architects, and W. Balfour Robb, advocates (p. 137). From the early 1990s to the mid 2000s, the first two floors were occupied by Paull & Williamson, estate agency. The building was known as New Investment House during this period and had a decorative façade featuring a fountain pen nib, the logo of Paull & Williamson, above its entrance. Paull & Williamson merged with Edinburgh and Glasgow based firm Burness to become Burness Paull in 2012. Since about 2014, this building has been occupied by serviced office businesses. First i2 and from around 2019, Centrum, as shown in this image. The smaller building to the left is 218 Union Street. Historic Environment Scotland indicate that this 2 bay, 2 storey and attic building was also built around 1841. No. 218 was constructed in 1841 as new, purpose built premises for the West-End Academy, an elementary school for boys and girls, which had opened the previous year in 1840 (P&J, 22/04/1940 p. 2 and P&J, 11/09/1941, p. 2). Aberdeen post office directories suggest that the school, which was initially at 201 Union Street West, operated from 216 Union Street until about 1875. A for sale notice for the property can be found in the Aberdeen Journal of 08/03/1876 on p. 4. Morgan suggests one notable 20th century occupant of nos. 216-218 was William Garden, a gunsmith and fishing-tackle maker, who had an impressive array of weaponry in their front window (p. 137). From circa 1993 to 2009, the ground floor premises were occupied by a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (Evening Express, 18/10/1993, p. 13). By 2012, this was replaced by Smile Dental Care, shown in this 2024 photograph.

4580

The Aberdeen Timmer Market was a historic market for all Aberdeenshire citizens dating back to the 13th century. "Timmer" comes from the word "timber". All products sold at the market, primarily tools and toys, were initially made from wood. From its commencement in the early 1200s, the market was held on the last Wednesday of August each year at Castle Street. In 1913, the Timmer Market was moved to behind Justice Street. It was held for the final time in 1961. There is a short poem on the front and a much longer poem on the back. An image of the latter can also be found on The Silver City Vault. The publisher of the postcard is Wm. Smith & Sons, 18 Union Terrace. A reference to the release of the card can be found in the Aberdeen Daily Journal of 24th August 1910, page 6, column 7. This indicates that the postcard dates from 1910.

537

An isometrical illustration of Aberdeen from 1889. This document was distributed as a supplement to the Aberdeen Daily Free Press newspaper of 18th December 1889. An article accompanying the illustration, describing changes in the city during the preceding 25 years, can be found on page 6, column 6 of that issue. The above mentioned article credits the illustration to Messrs. A. Gibb & Co., lithographers. The text in the bottom right of the document reads "Drawn from nature by Andrew Gibb & Co., lithographers, Aberdeen." This illustration can be seen as an updating of Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen from 1850. The earlier plan was drawn by a young George Washington Wilson.

550

An illustrated advert for The Clash's gig at the Aberdeen University Union on 7th May 1977. This advert appeared in the Gaudie, the University of Aberdeen student newspaper, from 4th May 1977 on page 7. A preview of the event, written by Gregor Graham, featured on page 2 of the same issue. The advert indicates that the gig has been organised by Union Entertainments and that tickets, costing £1.00, are on sale from the Union Shop. The advert includes a photograph of Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer. A preview of the performance can be found in the 'Pop talk' column by Ramsay Smith in the Evening Express of 4th May 1977, page 10. The same Evening Express column from 11th May 1977, page 10, includes a brief review of the gig. Describing the event, which was part of The Clash's "White Riot" tour, Smith writes that it "became a little too hot to handle but The Clash thrashed out their material with incredible enthusiasm and ferocity." The Clash also played in Aberdeen on 5th May 1978. This gig was at the Music Hall on Union Street. Press coverage following the event highlighted littering by those in attendance and damage to seats. The band were also due to play at Fusion, the former cinema and dance hall on Bridge Place, on 26th April 1982. This gig had to be cancelled due to the temporary disappearance of lead singer and guitarist Joe Strummer. Efforts to reschedule the event were unsuccessful. Newspaper reports indicate that the band eventually arranged buses to take Aberdeen fans to a gig taking place in Inverness ('Pop talk', Evening Express, 16th June 1982, page 11).

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