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T. C. Smith and Co., Electrical Engineers
43 Shop frontage of T. C. Smith and Co., Electrical Engineers
T.C. Smith & Co. first appear in the Aberdeen Directory for 1913/14 when they are listed as electrical, automobile and power engineers. They had garage space for over 200 cars and eight private lockups, and were open day and night, including Saturday.
The garage, showrooms and office were at 21-25 Bon-Accord Street; their repair and body building shops were at 20-32 Gordon Street. In 1921-22, they had other premises at 18 Bon-Accord Street, and these are shown in the photograph. The windows have a display of all sorts of electrical equipment including lamps, heaters, radios and Hoovers.
The company would appear to have gone out of business around 1943, because in 1946, Scottish Motor Tractor Co. Ltd had taken over their Bon-Accord premises. 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. George Jamesone's House
93 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. By the 1880s it had become a lodging house, and was demolished in 1886. The site is now marked by a plaque on the buildings which replaced it. George Jamesone's House
94 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill, c. 1885. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. By the 1880s it had become a lodging house, and was demolished in 1886. Its site is now marked by a plaque on the buildings which replaced it. George Jamesone's House, Schoolhill
114 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. The building was demolished in 1886 and its site is now marked by a plaque on the buildings which replaced it. Shuttle Lane prior to slum clearance
193 This 1930s photograph shows the Shuttle Lane slum clearance area situated between East North Street and Frederick Street, before the families were rehoused on new estates.
These houses were typical of the cramped, overcrowded tenements to be found in most Scottish cities. Large families would be crammed into 1 or 2 rooms. There might have been a shared toilet on the landings or more commonly outside in the back yard.
Infectious diseases such as diptheria and scarlet fever could be spread rapidly with such close contact of families, and infant mortality was high. There was often no drying green so many tenements had iron washing poles which could be slid out of windows when needed. Each family would have their allocated day to use the wash house.
Washing clothes was a laborious affair as the mother, maybe with the assistance of an older daughter, would stoke and light the boiler, and trek back and forth with water from an outside tap. Washing would be done by hand and if the weather was bad, then it would have to be hung inside in the kitchen to dry in the heat of the coal fire.
However, it seemed that community spirit was warm and close neighbours helped each other in times of crisis. This was a bond that would be broken when families were rehoused in the modern housing estates. Tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar
195 The tomb of Bishop Gavin Dunbar at St. Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen.
Gavin Dunbar was appointed Bishop of Aberdeen on 5th November 1518 and died on 9th March 1532. He became a great benefactor not only of King's College, but of the town.
It was he who took over the plans left after the death of Bishop Elphinstone and created the Bridge of Dee which opened road access to the City, from the south.
Dunbar also built the twin towers at St. Machar's Cathedral and gave its magnificent ceiling at his own expense. It comprises 48 heraldic shields including the arms of Scottish monarchs, nobles, Kings of Europe, and Scottish Bishops.
When he died in 1532, he was buried in the south transept of the cathedral. This was virtually destroyed after the collapse of the great central tower in 1688, and a recumbent statue of white marble of Dunbar was broken into pieces during the Reformation.
The splendor of the six foot richly carved arch of Morayshire freestone is still obvious despite its exposure to the weather. A bishop's mitre surmounts the Dunbar coat of arms and his initials, at the right hand side. The Linn o' Dee, c.1880
359 The Linn o'Dee is 65 miles west of Aberdeen and over 1200 feet above sea level. It is about a mile west of Inverey, the last settlement on Deeside and marks the end of the public road. The stone bridge which replaced a wooden structure was opened by Queen Victoria in September 1857. Salmon can often be seen here leaping upwards to their spawning grounds. The area is still a popular tourist attraction with views of the Cairngorms in the distance. Linn is a Scottish word for a rocky gorge with pools. Red Cross Ambulance
364 A photograph from the presentation of a new ambulance by Aberdeen District engineering and shipbuilding firms to the Scottish Branch of the Red Cross Society on Monday 29th January 1917.
The vehicle, funded by subscription, was for use in Aberdeen and was handed over to Colonel J. Scott Riddell, the Red Cross Commissar. He can be seen fourth from the left in the group on the right.
The leftmost figure of that grouping is Lord Provost James Taggart. He presided over the presentation event that took place in the Red Cross Transport Headquarters on Holburn Street, visible here in the background. Taggart was a granite sculptor by trade and had a works nearby at 92 Great Western Road.
The location of this photograph is at the junction of Justice Mill and Holburn Street. A branch of the Summerhill Farm Dairy is visible in the background.
An account of the presentation and a list of subscribers can be read on page 3 of The Aberdeen Daily Journal for 22nd January 1917. Denburn Valley
481 The Denburn, Aberdeen, in around 1865. The Triple Kirks are in the centre of the photograph with the Belmont Congregational Church in the foreground.
In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street.
This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867 The Denburn Valley
498 The Denburn, Aberdeen. The Triple Kirks are in the distance with the spires of St. Nicholas Congregational Church in the foreground. In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street. This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867. The Denburn, Aberdeen
500 The Denburn. In 1850, the Aberdeen Railway Co. which later amalgamated with the Scottish Midland Junction Co. to form the Scottish North Eastern Railway, brought the line from the south into the city. In 1864, after great debate, the Denburn Valley Junction Railway Scheme was adopted - forming a direct link between Kittybrewster and Guild Street. This photograph shows the commencement of the work. The new Joint Station opened in 1867 Leaving Aberdeen Harbour
502 A Leith registered fifie leaving Aberdeen Harbour. The white building seen behind the sails is the Round House, the Harbour Master's office, on the New Quay at Fittie.
The fifie was a fast wind-powered sailing boat favoured for herring fishing on much of Scotland's east coast from the 1850s until well into the 20th century. Its main features were the vertical stem (front) and stern (back) and the wide beam (width) making them stable in the water.
Fifies had two masts, a main dipping lugsail and a mizzen sail. Fifie's were increasingly decked following the recommendations of Captain Washington's 1849 report into the Moray Firth fishing disaster.
See SCRAN's webpage on Scottish sail powered fishing boats for more information on the subject.
The Tidal Harbour is in the background, beyond the landing stage of Pocra Quay's Lower Basin. Waterloo Station
641 This photograph shows the corner at the end of Regent Quay in the late 19th century. The building in the centre of the image, with pediment, is the offices of the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and to its left is the entrance to the Waterloo Railway Station.
The railway station was opened by the company on 1st April 1856. It was built to supersede an existing station at Kittybrewster. Waterloo was once the station for all railway passengers and goods going between the city and the north.
Trains coming and going from the south stopped at a nearby, but unconnected station on Guild Street. It had opened two years earlier in 1854 and was operated by rival railway company, the Scottish North-Eastern. Passengers with connecting trains would need to dash along Trinity and Regent Quay or wait for a bus. Connections were not guaranteed.
It took Parliament to settle the differences between the companies. This saw the construction of the Joint Station, opened in November 1867, and the creation of the Denburn Valley Railway. Both Waterloo and Guild Street subsequently became stations for the transport of goods only.
The buildings shown in this photograph were altered and eventually demolished in the 20th century. Remnants of the station can still be seen today in a small yard and the railway line following the old canal path and joining the main tracks heading north at Kittybrewster.
On the right of this image can also be seen an building, likely a goods shed, of the Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Company. This passenger ship service was founded in 1865 and had offices at 43 Marischal Street.
The building to the left of Waterloo Station, far left here, was the site of an establishment called Berry's Hotel and served as various pubs until the late 1960s. It looks like it was closed or being refurbished at the time of this photograph.
To the left of this image would be Commerce Street and Regent Quay. Waterloo Quay would begin to its right. 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. George Jamesone's House, Schoolhill
660 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. It became a lodging house in the 19th century. The building was demolished in 1886. George Jamesone's House, Schoolhill
754 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. It became a lodging house in the 19th century. The building was demolished in 1886. The house stood opposite St. Nicholas Churchyard George Jamesone's House, Schoolhill
755 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. It became a lodging house in the 19th century. The building was demolished in 1886. Sandilands: aerial photograph
850 An aerial view of Sandilands Chemical Works looking east towards the sea. This image likely dates from around the mid-20th century.
Some of the houses on Garvock Wynd, the street on the right of this image, have disappeared compared to earlier aerial views. The next street along to the left, with "the Big Hoose" on its corner, is Baltic Street. Miller Street runs along the bottom of the image.
These chemical works began in 1848 when brothers John and George Miller of Paisley leased the land adjacent to gas works that had opened in 1844. Their intention was to process the by-products of coal gas manufacture. The business operated as John Miller & Company, known locally as "stinky Miller's", and went on to manufacture a range of products for North East agriculture.
An obituary for John Miller can be found in the Aberdeen Free Press of 6th March 1894, page 4. An obituary for George Miller featured on page 4 of the Aberdeen Weekly Journal of 11th September 1889.
In around 1928, Miller & Co. became part of Scottish Agricultural Industries (SAI). In the 1930s, the first SAI manager, Mr. Bremner, was appointed and this marked the beginning of the end of the Miller era.
SAI was formed in 1928, part of ICI agricultural division (ICI owned 51%), by combining firms such as J. Miller & Co. in Aberdeen, Milne in Dyce and firms in Carnoustie, Ayr, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Beyond the chemical works can be seen Queen's Links and the Pleasure Beach across Wellington Street. The esplanade and North Sea are visible beyond. Sandilands Chemical Works
851 Loading powdered fertiliser at Aberdeen Harbour. The loading process involved lorries, conveyors and hoppers. This powdered fertiliser was a patented product of S.A.I. Ltd. (Scottish Agricultural Industries) called phosai and was shipped south to England. The product was based on ammonium phosphate in a very concentrated form. Culter Boys' Brigade
1002 Culter Boys Brigade collecting wastepaper and scrap metal during World War 2.
As indicated on its side, the lorry belonged to William L. Gavin of Kennerty Mills. Gavin ran Kennerty Mills, in the south west of Culter, for nearly 50 years and was a past president of the Scottish Oatmeal Millers' Association. He was also an Aberdeen county councillor and a Justice of the Peace. Gavin died aged 90 on 14th July 1987. A brief obituary for him can be found in the Press & Journal of 16th July 1987 on page 3.
Correspondent Brian Coutts has been in touch to identify some of the boys on the lorry: "Bill Moncur (hiding behind a newspaper), Dennis Booth, "Jeeker" Broon, Bill Dey, Derek Thom, Derek Stephen and Adrian Semmence." Aberdeen Central Library, Newspaper room
1398 Gentlemen browsing the local newspapers, The Press & Journal and the Evening Express, in Aberdeen Central Library's Newspaper Room. This image likely dates from the 1970s.
The newspaper boards were divided into sections containing Aberdeen newspapers, Scottish nationals and English provincial and London papers.
Another section was set aside for international and other titles such as the Cape Argus and the Ceylon Observer. George Jamesone's House, Schoolhill
1461 George Jamesone's House in Schoolhill. This house was generally believed to be the residence as well as the property of George Jamesone, the painter, known as the Scottish Van Dyck. It became a lodging house in the 19th century. The building was demolished in 1886. Football at Pittodrie
1656 The large crowds visible in the photograph suggest that this may be the Scottish Cup semi-final of 21st March 1908. Reaching the semi-finals for the first time, Aberdeen played Celtic at Pittodrie before a record 20,000 attendance (this was prior to the introduction of neutral crowds). The Aberdeen players, seen here in their black and gold stripes of the time, lost 1-0 to the visitors. |