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Drawing of Broad Street, at junction with Queen Street, looking towards Union Street. Spire of the Town House at the left of the image.

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Lodge Walk which ran from Castle Street to Queen Street dates back to 1754 when the Aberdeen Lodge moved into Chambers at the New Inn. The jail for Aberdeen was at one time the Tolbooth, the spire of which can be seen at the centre of the photograph.

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Statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. The statue of Queen Victoria was sculpted by Alexander Brodie. The statue was inaugurated in 1866. The marble began to show weathering due to the frost and was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888. The plaster model of the statue can still be seen in the Music Hall.

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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.

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St. Nicholas Street at its junction with Union Street, showing the statue of Queen Victoria (right). The premises of H. Samuel the jewellers is on the left.

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Union Street at the junction with St. Nicholas Street. The marble statue of Queen Victoria at the corner of St. Nicholas Street was removed to the Town House to prevent further erosion of the marble and a bronze statue of the older Queen was erected in the 1890s.

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Provost Skene's House, dating from 1545, also known as Cumberland's Lodging when it was occupied by the Duke of Cumberland during his pursuit of Jacobites in 1746. It belonged to Sir George Skene of Rubislaw, Provost of Aberdeen from 1676 to 1685. In the nineteenth century, it had become the Victoria Lodging House and was only saved from demolition in 1938 by the intervention of the Queen Mother. It is now used as a museum.

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Provost Skene's House c.1880. The building dates from 1545, and is also known as Cumberland's Lodging when it was occupied by the Duke of Cumberland during his pursuit of Jacobites in 1746. It belonged to Sir George Skene of Rubislaw, Provost of Aberdeen from 1676 to 1685. In the nineteenth century, it had become the Victoria Lodging House and was only saved from demolition in 1938 by the intervention of the Queen Mother. It is now used as a museum.

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Rubislaw House, 50 Queen's Road, Aberdeen. It was designed by J.B. Pirie and built in 1886 for the builder, John Morgan.

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The Cowdray Hall, War Memorial and Art Gallery taken from Union Terrace Gardens. The Hall was opened by King George V and Queen Mary on 29th September 1925.

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Castlegate, looking east, showing the Market Cross and the Salvation Army Citadel, which was built between 1893 and 1896.

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Powis Gateway, Old Aberdeen. These curious towers stand at the gate leading to Powis Lodge, almost opposite King's College, Old Aberdeen. They were constructed by John Leslie of Powis, who succeeded his father, Hugh Leslie of Powis, the builder of Powis House (1802). John Leslie succeeded his father in 1812, and the towers were finished in 1834. The crescent on the top of one of the towers is the crest of the Frasers, the predecessors of the Leslies in the property of Powis. As indicated in the bottom right, this etching of the gateway is by Aberdeen artist Henry Jackson Simpson (1893-1963), known professionally as Jackson Simpson. He was a prolific and successful local artist who specialised in etchings and watercolours of architecture, land and seascapes and wildlife. Simpson died at his home at 58 Craigton Road, aged 70, on 28th March 1963. His obituary, which gives an account of his life, featured in the next day's Press & Journal. He was a native of Aberdeen, the son of William Jackson, an art dealer in Diamond Street. He trained as a lithographer and joined his father in business. He served in WWI with the Northumberland Fusiliers and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. In 1935 he took over the family business following the death of his father. He was well travelled around Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire and this is reflected in his art. University related subjects such as Marischal College, King's College and, here, the Powis Gateway, were among his most well known works. A keen sportsperson, and prominent freemason, he also set-up the Craigton Club and was highly involved with the Northern Arts Club. An article titled 'The charming story of Jackson Simpson: Scotland's celebrated etcher' featured on the Press & Journal website, in partnership with the McEwan Gallery near Ballater, on 8th June 2022. The feature was produced to highlight an exhibition of Simpson's work at the aforementioned gallery.

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Castle Street and the Municipal Buildings looking west towards Union Street. The Mercat Cross is seen in the foreground with the spire of the Tolbooth behind it and the Athenaeum on the left.

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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

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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'".

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Rubislaw Church, Queen's Cross in the wintertime. Rubislaw Church was built in 1875 by architect J. Russell Mackenzie.

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This view was taken in the Castlegate on 26th January 1901 at the proclamation of Edward VII as King in succession to Queen Victoria. Because of her recent death a jubilant celebration was out of the question. However, the Town Council and other public dignitaries assembled to form a procession from the Town House on the left to the Market Cross at the right. A crowd of 100,000 attended with windows and roofs all occupied. Cheers were given as the National Anthem was played by the Band of the First Volunteer Batallion (Gordon Highlanders). The procession then returned to the Town House where the health of the King was pledged and God save the King was sung.

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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.

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The coal ladden schooner, 'The Queen' driven ashore on Aberdeen Beach in March 1883, during a terrible gale. It was unable to make the crossing of the bar at the entrance to the harbour and a number of the crew, frozen and stiff with cold, were blown off the rigging and drowned in the night.

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The Market Cross, Castlegate.

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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.

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This image taken in 1898, shows two prominent Aberdeen citizens crossing St. Nicholas Street under the watchful gaze of a statue of Queen Victoria. The building behind them was then the Town and County (now Clydesdale) Bank. These two individuals were lifelong friends and both came from a poor background, however their industry and intelligence, combined with self education led to their successful careers. William Cadenhead on the left began work in a thread factory but later became a traveller for a wine and spirit merchant, eventually succeeding to the business. He died on 11th December 1904 aged 85. William Carnie on the right was apprenticed as an engraver, but his ambition to write for newspapers was fulfilled when he began on the North of Scotland Gazette. In 1861, Carnie was appointed as Clerk and Treasurer of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the Royal Lunatic Asylum. After his retirement he wrote three volumes entitled Reporting Reminiscences covering the period 1850-1876, recollecting local events and people he knew. He died on 2nd January 1908 aged 83.

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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.

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Queens Cross Free Church, Aberdeen. This photograph taken by G.W. Wilson whose house was almost adjacent. In 1877, the Free Church discussed the possibility of a church to cater for those who lived in the increasingly popular west end of the city. They secured a triangular site at the junction of Albyn Place and Carden Place at Queens Cross. Competitive designs were sought and John Bridgeford Pirie, of Pirie and Clyne, architects, were successful with his French Gothic design in granite. The steeple is 150 feet high and the grand entrance doorway is flanked by massive pillars leading into the nave where there was space for around 800 worshipers. There is a circular window in the east end, stained glass windows having been gifted by members of the congregation. The building was opened for worship on 17th April 1881, and the popularity of its first Minister, the Rev Dr George Adam Smith brought large audiences to the church. Smith was later to become Principal of Aberdeen University. The church became the only one of the city's free churches to have instrumental music when it acquired an organ built by Henry Willis. Queens Cross became Church of Scotland in 1929 when the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church merged. Various extensions have taken place, including a new hall and vestry in 1939, and the building was extensively restored in 1980.