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Allenvale Cemetery from Kincorth
60 An early photograph of Allenvale Cemetery, taking shape in the middle distance, as seen from Kincorth, with Abbotswell Farm in the foreground.
A limited company called the Aberdeen Cemetery Company was established for the purpose of creating this new graveyard. A prospectus inviting public investment was published in the Aberdeen Journal of 29th January 1873. It reads as follows:
"It is well known that in Aberdeen cemetery accommodation is limited and insufficient, and it is generally admitted that its extension is necessary, and cannot much longer be delayed. It is therefore desirable to acquire additional space for that purpose, and to treat it in accordance with modern ideas and practice.
"This company has been formed for the purpose of providing an extensive Cemetery, in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, suitable in all respects for the purposes of internment, and of easy access - but sufficiently removed from town to preserve its suburban character."
The new cemetery opened in late 1874 and, as we know, was a big hit. It was officially known as the Aberdeen Cemetery but quickly became known as Allenvale Cemetery, after the property on which it was built.
Allenvale saw major extensions in 1912 and 1932. A London syndicate purchased control of the graveyard from the Aberdeen Cemetery Company in 1958. Aberdeen Town Council subsequently took control of the cemetery in 1965 following the then owners going into liquidation and worries about Allenvale's future. Allenvale remains a fine example of a planned Victorian cemetery to this day.
Notable residents of Allenvale include John James Rickard MacLeod (1876-1935), co-discoverer of insulin, James Scott Skinner (1843-1927), fiddler and composer, and Mary Esslemont (1891-1984), the influential doctor. Though, of course, many interned at Allenvale would have their own interesting stories to tell.
In this photograph, Duthie Park, later created on the right, has yet to be landscaped. St. Machar Poorhouse, Fonthill House and Devanha House can all be seen in the distance. 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. Marischal College Gateway
129 The old gateway on Broad Street to Marischal College with the coat of arms of George Keith, Fifth Earl Marischal above it. This was demolished in 1890 to allow for the extension and frontage of Marischal College, which opened in 1906. Cowdray Hall, 1927
218 Shrine, war memorial, Cowdray Hall, 1927.
The War Memorial and the extension of the Art Gallery, including the Cowdray Hall and Museum, were opened by King George V and Queen Mary on 29th September 1925.
These were erected at a cost of 80,000 pounds, with the cost of the War Memorial being raised by public subscription.
The War Memorial is a cenotaph, in the form of a Memorial Court or Hall of Remembrance and is "consecrated to the memory of those 5000 of the city and district who gave their lives on land and sea 'that we might live'".
The shrine is of white and grey marble in a niche in the north wall of the Memorial Court, directly opposite the entrance. It takes the form of a table on which is placed the Roll of Honour, printed on vellum, within glass.
The table is supported by trusses decorated in Renaissance style. On either side are the Union Jack and White Ensign, representing Army and Navy, and in the centre is a laurel wreath in gilt bronze.
Also in the picture can be seen the circular balcony or gallery, with a graceful balustrade, grey marble coping and ornate mouldings, which encircles the Court and leads to various picture galleries, one of which can be seen through the doorway War memorial at Cowdray Hall
219 War memorial at Cowdray Hall. The War Memorial and the extension of the Art Gallery, including the Cowdray Hall and Museum, were opened by King George V and Queen Mary on 29th September 1925. These were erected at a cost of £80,000, with the cost of the War Memorial being raised by public subscription. The War Memorial is a cenotaph, in the form of a Memorial Court or Hall of Remembrance and is "consecrated to the memory of those 5000 of the city and district who gave their lives on land and sea 'that we might live'". The Dry Dock at Albert Basin
466 The Dry Dock for the repair and overhauling of steamships was opened at the eastern end of the Albert Basin in 1885. It was demolished in 1924-27 to make way for an extension of the covered fish market. Aberdeen Central Library extension
1395 The extension cost £7,700 and opened on 18 May 1905. Built in keeping with the character of the main structure, it was described as a "harmony of architectural features". Facilities included a new Reading Room, a Stock Room, an upgraded Reference Department and public toilets. Union Glen
1490 This image of Union Glen, taken from near the junction with Cuparstone Row, was likely taken by James Kellas in the early 1950s.
The building that can be seen above the bridge, on Holburn Street, was number 81 at the time. It was a shop belonging to Alexanders, a radio and television dealer. This business closed down in the 1980s. At the time of writing, the building is occupied by the Aberdeen Drilling School.
The larger building on the right is 82 Holburn Street. It has a long history as a bar and was known for generations as Aitken's. It was previously known as the Great Western Bar and later as the Malt Mill, which was originally the name of a lounge opened in 1963. The name references the building at one time having been a distillery.
See the brilliant Aberdeen Pub Companion (1975) by Archibald Hopkin for more information on this and other drinking establishments.
(Many thanks to local historian A. G. Duthie for getting in touch with information for this record.) Police Headquarters
2111 The North-Eastern Counties Constabulary (later Grampian Police) headquarters, at the corner of Howes Road and Inverurie Road, Bucksburn. Staff moved in from 1963, from when this photograph dates, and it was officially opened by the Queen Mother on 14th May 1964. Upper Mill Farm, Bucksburn
2112 Upper Mill Farm, which became the site of the Bucksburn Headquarters of the North-Eastern Counties Constabulary, later Grampian Police, at the corner of Howes Road and Inverurie Road. Staffing began in 1963 and it was officially opened by the Queen Mother on 14th May 1964. Stop 4: Health Services for Women and Children - Agnes Thomson (1880-1952) Clementina Esslemont OBE (1864-1958) Fenella Paton (1901-1945) and Mary Esslemont (1891-1984)
2303 The first sick children's hospital on site of former Naval Surgeon's Dr Blaikie surgery on 6-8 Castle Terrace in 1877 extended to take in Castle Brae Chapel. An unsung heroine that worked on this site is Dr Agnes Thomson (nee Baxter) a graduate from Aberdeen University who served as an anaesthetist at the Sick Children's and Maternity Hospitals during the First World War. Agnes Thomson was instrumental in founding the Aberdeen Mother and Baby Home and volunteered her services to the Mother and Child Welfare Association, which was established to address the shockingly high death rate of babies and toddlers in the east end of Aberdeen.
Throughout her life, Clementina Esslemont OBE was a champion of liberal ideas and good causes and well known for her no-nonsense approach to social service provision. One of her principal achievements was the foundation of the Aberdeen Mother and Child Welfare Association in 1909, which played an important role in social service and public health provision in the City of Aberdeen until the creation of the Public Health Department in 1949. She was also involved in the establishment of a model block of tenements on the Spital, Aberdeen, in the formation of Aberdeen Lads' Club, St Katherine's Club, and the nursery school movement.
Dr Mary Esslemont, one of Clementina Esslemont's daughters, worked as a Gynaecologist at the hospital. Mary did much to improve the care and wellbeing for mothers and babies with her determination and hard work. As well as being the Gynaecologist she also ran prenatal and family planning clinics. Mary was an advocate of women's rights, health education and family planning. She was the first female president of the Student University Council and the first woman to be president of Aberdeen Liberal Association in 1954. Awarded the CBE in 1955, Aberdeen City Council bestowed the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in 1981.
Aberdeen has also led the way in family planning with a remarkable woman at the forefront of fertility control. Pioneer Fenella Paton opened Aberdeen's first family planning clinic in 1926 at Gerrard street. The clinic, the first of its kind in Scotland, moved to new premises in Castle Street in 1948. But prior to these clinics and innovations in family planning there were large families and mothers that needed to go out to work and at our next stop an initiative was put in place to help these working women.
Memories:
Norma Michie speaking about Mary Esslemont
Audrey's memories of the Family Planning Clinic
Denise's memory of the Family Planning Clinic
Heather's memories of Ina Lawrence and the Children's Hospital
Alma Duncan's memories of Cocky Hunters McKay's of Queen Street
2764 This photograph shows the exterior of McKay's clothing shop at 29-31 Queen Street in 2018. The business dates from around the 1910s and this large 2 floor outlet was opened on 25th March 1971.
A newspaper advert from the time describes their stock as "Workwear, Footwear, Leisurewear, Camping Equipment, plus our usual Government Surplus Lines".
The advert states that the business was a contractor to the Ministry of Defence.
Prior to this larger store, the business operated at 24-26 Queen Street. Ordnance Survey maps from the 1950s indicate that this address was on the opposite side of the road, across from Greyfriars Church.
Correspondent Alan Duthie has pointed out that McKay's was also located in the building on the southern side of the junction of Broad Street and Queen Street. This can be seen in old photographs. These were the same premises previously occupied by George and James Anderson, ironmongers, and later Ewen & Co., cabinetmakers and furnishers and had the address of 34 Broad Street and 2 Queen Street.
McKay's was likely at this location shortly prior to its demolition for the widening of Broad Street and the construction of the Town House extension. Alan remembers that the shop was entered from Queen Street and the door on Broad Street was not used.
This building at 29-31 Queen Street was demolished in the early months of 2021. McKay's had relocated to Great Northern Road. Aberdeen Cinemas: Grand Central
3432 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Grand Central cinema at 286 George Street in September 1981. This photograph is taken from the end of Craigie Street.
The Grand Central was first opened on 3rd April 1922. The building at 286 George Street had previously been a furniture branch of Allan's Public Supply Stores. It was converted into a cinema by James F. Donald.
Michael Thomson explains that the Grand Central was initially very small and quite plain. In the late 1920s Donald acquired the property to the north of the cinema, plus the hall at its rear, and planned for its extension. In 1927 architect George Watt drew up plans for the enlarged cinema and these were enacted in the autumn of 1929.
The enlarged cinema reopened on 30th December 1929 with a ceremony led by Provost James Rust. The Grand Central's capacity had been increased from its original 730 to 1,640. Thomson states this was a good 400 more than any other hall in town.
Michael Thomson also states that the enlarged cinema was decorated in an "atmospheric" style and that it pointed the way to the super-cinemas that would soon arrive in the city. Bulldog Drummond was the cinema's first talking picture in 1930.
The Grand Central, after 59 years as a cinema, finally closed down on the same day as Union Street's Queen's Cinema on 17th October 1981. The latter showed Watership Down as its final film, whereas the Grand Central showed the more adult orientated double bill of Love, Lust and Ecstasy and More Danish Blue.
The Press and Journal reporting on the final screenings at both cinemas, records the staff at the Grand Central, led by manager Mr Anthony Veal, closing the cinema for the last time before heading to a nearby pub for a drink.
The Grand Central cinema was demolished in 1984 and replaced by a block of flats.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Treasure 51: Central Library Extension Plan 1902
226 In this Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design we feature a plan from our archive showing the proposed extension to the original Central Library building. Previously, the building was around half the size of what it is now - the area which houses the Children's Library and Media Centre was added in the extension to the building in 1905.
By 1900 - less than 10 years since the Central Library first opened - the need for an extension was recognised with reports from the time describing The Reading Room as "congested, dark and inaccessible". In 1902, the architects Brown and Watt designed a 2-storey central piece with a single storey extending west to the junction of Skene Street, and ending in a tower. The extension cost £7,700 and opened on 18 May 1905. Built in keeping with the character of the main structure, it was described as a "harmony of architectural features". Facilities included a new Reading Room, a Stock Room, an upgraded Reference Department and public toilets.
The new Reading Room was painted in colours of citron and cream and described as "handsome, airy, bright and convenient". The 2000 readers who frequented it daily would have been well satisfied with 21 dailies, 100 weeklies, 78 monthlies and 11 quarterlies to choose from. Railway Timetables were also stocked.
The rules of the reading room were strictly enforced. Time restraints on newspapers were also in operation. Readers were given 10 minutes to "occupy a page if another reader has expressed a wish to have it turned".
Guest treasure: Aberdeen Royal Lunatic Asylum Lunacy Forms
271 This month's Guest Treasure was kindly selected by NHS Grampian Archives who hold fascinating and varied collections of historical health records from across the North East of Scotland.
Aberdeen Royal Lunatic Asylum has changed a lot since it opened in 1800, as has the way in which patients were admitted. Following the passing of the Lunacy (Scotland) Act in 1857, people who were being admitted had to have been assessed by two different doctors who would set out why that person's symptoms merited admission to the Asylum. These were recorded on Medical Certificates - or 'Lunacy Forms' as they are called in these volumes.
The forms give background information on the patient - their name, age, address, next of kin and so on, before recording the two doctor's statements. Supporting case notes also survive, which give further information on the individual patients, but there are also surviving annual reports which can be found in Aberdeen Central Library. These detail the changes which happened in the hospital each year, give statistics on the number of patients admitted, and provide information on how well the hospital was being run.
View the Lunacy forms in greater detail on our touchscreens. Treasure 90: Torry and Ferryhill libraries
302 Both Torry and Ferryhill Branch Reading Rooms opened on 19 December 1903 as part of the General Extension Scheme to provide a library presence in what were regarded as outlying areas of the City.
In November 1901 the Council Finance Committee sanctioned the acquisition of a piece of ground at the corner of Victoria Road and Grampian Road where Torry Library would be built. A site was secured at the corner of Fonthill Road and the Hardgate in August 1901 for Ferryhill Library.
Both libraries were supported by Andrew Carnegie who, having previously donated money for the building of the Central Library, promised £1750 for each of the Branch reading rooms.
It was the aim of the Library Committee that the Branches should be "educative and attractive in every sense" and with this in mind the walls were hung with reproductions of works by artist such as Constable, Turner, Joseph Farquharson and others.
The success of the new branches was very apparent from the statistics. In the first nine months of opening, attendance at Torry numbered 31,567 with 63,711 at Ferryhill. Once the delivery stations were set up, book issues (including those for Old Aberdeen) totalled 13,530 volumes of which over 10,000 were fiction. By 1939, Torry and Ferryhill were well on their way to becoming fully established branch libraries.
Take a look at the early history of the libraries in the Treasures exhibition on the interactive screen. Treasure 113: Railway Station Plans
334 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the main railway station in Aberdeen. One of our treasures this month is a plan which shows the siting of the original joint railway station and the beginning of the Denburn Valley Line.
This plan was published as a supplement to the Aberdeen Free Press and is dated May 29th 1863. The plan shows the proposed station and the surrounding area. The station and areas around it which require alteration are tinted in dark and light red. We can see that the plans involved the extension of Guild Street and the creation of access roads to the station so that it could be easily reached via a variety of approaches. Other features of note are the proposed tunnel earmarked for the Woolmanhill area and also the Scottish North Eastern Railway Station on Guild Street which indicates that the joint station was not the first station to be built in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Joint Station was opened on the 4th November 1867 and a glowing report and detailed description of the new building can be found in the Aberdeen Journal: "it is truly a magnificent building; and its proportions are such as few stations in the three kingdoms will surpass in point of elegance." William Smith, city architect at the time, was the architect of the joint station and John Willet the engineer.
Learn more about the other stations of Aberdeen, now vanished, in the Treasures from our Collections digital exhibition on the touch screens. Aberdeen Electric Lighting: Route of Mains
388 A plan showing both the current electrical mains cabling from the Cotton Street generating station, in blue, and a significant proposed extension in red. Probable customers for the Corporation's electricity have been identified and are are marked on the plan with a red cross.
This plan dates from fairly early in the town's electrification. Aberdeen's first electrical works, at Cotton Street, had opened in 1894. This plan, that was lithographed by G. Cornwall & Sons, Aberdeen, is dated 24th March 1896.
Cotton Street functioned as the town's sole and main electricity works up until the construction of the larger Dee Village station, which formally opened March 1903. |