994

A photograph showing the unveiling of a new panel at Culter War Memorial on Sunday 19th June 1949. The article 'Tribute to War Dead of Culter' from the Press & Journal of 20th June 1949, page 6, describes the ceremony as follows: "A panel containing the names of 29 men from the parish who lost their lives in the recent war was unveiled at Culter War Memorial yesterday. "Relatives of the fallen and representatives of the Boys' Brigade, Girl Guides, Brownies, and the Territorial Army were grouped round the memorial as Mrs Tough, Hillside Road, Culter, who lost two sons in the war, unveiled the tablet. "The panel was dedicated by the Rev. J. R. Dey, Kelman Memorial Church, who, along with the Rev. T. W. Howie, St Peter's Church, conducted the service" Culter War Memorial is a tapering, crenelated tower located on a hillock to the west of the village. It is accessed by a footpath that leaves North Deeside Road not far beyond the bridge over the Culter Burn. Correspondent Brian Coutts has been in touch to inform us that one of the representatives of the Brownies present at the ceremony was Elizabeth McNab. The abovementioned sons of Mrs Jane Tough of Hillside Road were Driver Frank Tough, Royal Corps of Signals, formerly an employee of Culter Paper Mills, who was killed by enemy action in the Middle East on 24th September 1942, aged 24, and Private Ernest "Ernie" Tough, 2nd Gordons, who died on 5th October 1943, aged 26, while a prisoner-of-war in Thailand. (Source: Press & Journal, 26th September 1946, page 3.) The former, Frank Tough, is buried at Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial in Egypt and Ernest is buried Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar. (Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.)

1544

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1580

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1581

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1583

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1587

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1602

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1611

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1613

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1616

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1629

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1676

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1677

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1694

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1732

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1974

A studio portrait of two Aberdeen men. They look like a father and son.

1978

Two well-dressed Aberdeen men posed for a studio portrait. They are likely brothers.

2145

This portrait of a smartly dressed young man was taken by G. W. Morgan (1855-1909). The photo features the ornate furniture and painted background that was the convention of the time. On the rear of the postcard photograph is printed "For further copies apply Elite Studios, 5 Market St, Aberdeen." This dates the image as between 1897 and 1907 when the business was trading under this name at the Market Street premises. Morgan and his brother William also operated photographic studios at 3 Bridge Place, 393 Union Street, and two in Aboyne and Ballater. Morgan was the son of a blacksmith from the village of Clatt, called John Morgan. Born in 1855, George trained as a druggist in Aberdeen before leaving for California where he worked as a photographer. He returned to the city in 1880 and became the principal photographic assistant to Mr Dinnie of Bridge Place. The premises in Market Street were his first studio after going into business with his brother. He lived at Westfield Terrace. In the coming years Morgan established a reputation in the city as an excellent photographer and businessman. He was described in his Aberdeen Daily Journal obituary as "A thorough artist in every sense of the word. Mr Morgan was remarkably successful in developing the very extensive business, and it was largely owning to his efforts that the firm attained its well deserved renown for the excellence of its portraiture and scenic work, all of which reach a high degree of artistic merit." In 1909, Morgan died aged 54 in quite unusual circumstances. On the night of 25th June he was travelling with Mr J. B. Davidson, a solicitor and business associate, to London on the Caledonian sleeper train. All was well up to Stirling when the two men went to sleep. Davidson was awoken in the night by the wind blowing into their compartment and with Morgan nowhere to be seen. After a thorough search of the train and much telegraphic inquiries it was determined that Morgan had fallen from the train and died just south of Carstairs. The exact conditions of his death are unknown but it was believed that he woke in the night and groggy with sleep used the wrong door. In addition to photography Morgan was a very accomplished violinist and acted as choirmaster for Ferryhill Parish Church for many years. He and his wife had 12 children.

2147

This is another World War I era portrait of a soldier. The badge on his cap and the two-bar chevron on his arm indicate that he was a corporal in The Royal Army Medical Corps. The swagger stick held in his left hand is a symbol of his authority as an officer.

2148

This is a studio portrait of two unknown friends. The uniforms and cap badges indicate that the two men are in the Royal Navy. Both are holding walking sticks and one holds a cigarette. The posture and countenance of the subjects is casual and suggests the amiability of friends. Unfortunately there are no marking on this postcard photograph to identify the photographer or subjects.

2630

A portrait of Blind Willie Grant taken from East Neuk Chronicles by William Skene (1905). Grant was a pianist who would accompany performers at regular "free-and-easies" held on Thursday and Saturday nights in the Wallace Tower and Mother M'Cuag's Caledonian Hotel on Castle Street. According to Skene, whatever the song, Willie could accompany it. Skene states that "It was not a bad job when these free-and-easies were stopped, as there was a fascination about these places that had an insidious effect on young men that was not easily shaken off, as I knew by experience." (page 35)

3110

Group No. 8 from Messrs G. W. Wilson & Co.'s Aberdeen portraits series published in 1907. An article in The Aberdeen Daily Journal of 27th April 1907, page 4, states: "There are few more interesting local pictures than the two groups of photographic portraits of Aberdeen public men which were published by Mr G. W. Wilson in the very early days of photography - in 1856 and 1857. These groups were selected and arranged by Mr (afterwards Baillie) George Walker, who is one of the very few survivors of the 196 note worthy Aberdonians portrayed; and an animated description of one of them is given by Mr William Carnie in 'Reporting Reminiscences.' A third group was published 1896; and most of the faces presented in it have likewise vanished from the scene. The happy idea has just occurred to Messrs G. W. Wilson and Co. to reproduce these three groups, along with six other groups (containing 100 portraits each) selected from the large collection of negatives taken at the firm's Crown Street studio between 1852 and 1896. The nine groups thus constitute a collection fairly representative of the leading men of Aberdeen during the latter half of the nineteenth century. They are printed in permanent collotype, and are encased in a handsome portfolio, an index of names also being supplied. But each group can be had separately, and is so mounted as to be available for framing; while copies printed on gelatine paper are also to be had, and copies of the single portraits may be secured. Messrs G. W. Wilson and Co. claim - and probably with every reason - that this series of portraits is unique, no other city having a similar portrait gallery of its leading citizens, covering practically the whole period between the beginning of the photographic portraiture on paper and the end of the nineteenth century."

3111

Group No. 9 from Messrs G. W. Wilson & Co.'s Aberdeen portraits series published in 1907. An article in The Aberdeen Daily Journal of 27th April 1907, page 4, states: "There are few more interesting local pictures than the two groups of photographic portraits of Aberdeen public men which were published by Mr G. W. Wilson in the very early days of photography - in 1856 and 1857. These groups were selected and arranged by Mr (afterwards Baillie) George Walker, who is one of the very few survivors of the 196 note worthy Aberdonians portrayed; and an animated description of one of them is given by Mr William Carnie in 'Reporting Reminiscences.' A third group was published 1896; and most of the faces presented in it have likewise vanished from the scene. The happy idea has just occurred to Messrs G. W. Wilson and Co. to reproduce these three groups, along with six other groups (containing 100 portraits each) selected from the large collection of negatives taken at the firm's Crown Street studio between 1852 and 1896. The nine groups thus constitute a collection fairly representative of the leading men of Aberdeen during the latter half of the nineteenth century. They are printed in permanent collotype, and are encased in a handsome portfolio, an index of names also being supplied. But each group can be had separately, and is so mounted as to be available for framing; while copies printed on gelatine paper are also to be had, and copies of the single portraits may be secured. Messrs G. W. Wilson and Co. claim - and probably with every reason - that this series of portraits is unique, no other city having a similar portrait gallery of its leading citizens, covering practically the whole period between the beginning of the photographic portraiture on paper and the end of the nineteenth century."

3355

A photograph showing a young man working an Aberdeenshire field with a plough and two horses. This photograph was one of three photographs lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Mr William Finney of Banchory so that we could create and preserve a digital copy for public use. These three photographs were kept by Mr Finney's family and he hopes to find out more about the people shown in them. If you can shed any light on these images please get in touch using the comment button on the left. Mr Finney was born in Turriff and the images likely relate to that area of Aberdeenshire. The man shown was tentatively idenitied by Mr Finney's father as a Fred Matthews. Though his identity is not known for certain. The location shown is also unknown for sure. The man resembles one of a group of workers from the Pitglassie area shown in another of Mr Finney's images. This image likely dates from around the 1920s. It is possible that the portion of the card that has been removed at the bottom once gave details of the photographer. Our current hypothesis is that Mr Finney's three images (that can be found on this site using the following image references: DO03_24, DO03_25 and DO03_26) all relate to involvement in competitive ploughing events, held around the 1920s, by inhabitants of the Pitglassie area in the Parish of Auchterless.