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Queueing for bananas after the end of World War Two, when fruit was still rationed. The shop in question belongs to George Pegler & Co.

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Walker Road primary School.

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Trinity Lane, Aberdeen, c.1975, from Exchange Street. The Trinity place-name comes from the area once being the site of a Trinitarian Friary. The building to the right in this photograph was once known as Trinity Chapel, or Trinity Parish Church. It was opened for public worship on Sunday 27th April, 1794. For a number of years, the chapel was an important centre of religious life and activity. The Disruption of 1843 significantly diminished the congregation. The building was subsequently sold by the Presbytery and became the Alhambra Music Hall. See Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) for more information on the history of this congregation and building. A large part of the exterior still stands and the building currently houses Wagley's public house. In this photograph Alex. McKay, electrical appliance showroom, is in occupation. Newspaper notices indicate that the business moved here, from 41 The Green, in 1966. The building in the centre of the image is best known, as shown here, as a banana warehouse for Knowles & Sons, fruiterers and later as a restaurant and art gallery. It was originally built as a church for Aberdeen's Catholic Apostolic congregation. MUSA was a restaurant and art space, with a focus on music, throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. It closed down in October 2018. 8th March 2019 saw the opening of a new bar in the building called The Hop & Anchor, specialising in craft beer. It is owned by a company called the Draft House and this is their first pub outside London. The Draft House is owned by Brewdog, the North East beer company.

1420

Peter Grant was City Librarian from 1972 until 1989 and is seen here on the steps of the Central Library on Rosemount Viaduct in 1976. The wrought iron lamp standards topped by large globes were originally designed to hold gas lights. These beacons were only re-wired and lit again in the 1970s, following the wartime blackout. At the same time the "Central Library" inscription appeared giving the building more visibility. Image copyright of Aberdeen Journals.

1747

Morningfield was originally a hospital for those with incurable diseases. Founded in 1857, it was located in Belleview House in the Denburn. In 1882 the Town Council bought the property as part of the development of Rosemount Viaduct. Consequently the hospital authorities bought land and erected new hospital buildings to the west of the city centre. The hospital retained the name Morningfield, also given to the road running past it, and was opened in September, 1884. The Aberdeen Journal reports that soon after the outbreak of the First World War the Committee of Management of Morningfield Hospital offered, in case of need, to accommodate 30 of the sick or wounded. At the urgent request of military authorities 40 British and Belgian wounded soldiers were admitted to the hospital. This photograph is a group portrait of some of the wounded Belgian soldiers during the war. The image was kindly lent to the library by Arlene Grant whose grandfather was a Belgian soldier treated at Morningfield. Supplying the hospital during wartime was a challenge and appeals were made to the generosity of the locals: "The Belgian soldiers are very dependent on vegetables and fruit," reported the Aberdeen Journal, "and as the hospital garden is already depleted the matron would be grateful for further supplies. Other articles urgently required are fouls, rabbits, eggs, coffee, cakes and jam".

2146

This portrait of a soldier in The Royal Army Medical Corps dates from around World War I. The badge of the corps can be seen on the soldier's cap. Unfortunately, there are no identifying marks on the front or back of the postcard so it is highly difficult to establish the photographer who took the picture or discover the subject's name. Only the head and shoulders of the subject feature, in contrast to the more common full length studio portraits of the time. The plain nature of the image, the lack of props and backdrop, accentuates the beatific quality of the sitter and the poignancy of his wartime fate.

2732

A postcard of Hamilton Place likely dating from the early 20th century. The view looks west from the juntion with Westfield Road. The house on the left foreground appears to be 8 Hamilton Place. A small part of 3 Hamilton Place can be seen across the road. Correspondent Urlan Wannop, a former resident at 41 Hamilton Place, shared his memories about this place: "My family lived in Hamilton Place between 1935 and 1948. The trees have since been removed, but on warm summer evenings we played ball games in the street before cars became prevalent. The trees stood in for stumps for games of cricket. In wartime, snow clearance for the very few motor cars and steam powered coal delivery wagons meant walls of snow at the pavement edge. I still have weights cast from lead left when all garden railings were removed in an abortive attempt to build tanks and ships for the war effort. (...) [The] photograph precedes the wartime removal of railings. For historical record, the photograph was possibly taken in the 1920's, judging by the motor car in the background, the presence of the railings and the trees being less fully grown than in the days when they stood in as wickets for street games of cricket. No sign of the knife grinders, bicycles of visiting French onion sellers nor of the street singer that progressed down Hamilton Place. All disappeared except from my memory. The wartime Lord Provost, Tommy Mitchell - of Mitchell and Muil, the bakers - lived in a house at the near left; my Headmaster at the Grammar School, JJ Robertson, lived in one at the near right. Like me, he would walk to school down Craigie Loanings".

72

The Aberdeen Orphan Girls' Asylum was also know as Mrs Elmslie's Institute. It later became Aberdeen High School for Girls and is now Harlaw Academy. The HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project tells us that during WWI the school was part of the 1st Scottish General Hospital. This was one of four Territorial Force military hospitals established during wartime in Scotland. Buildings belonging to three other schools (Central, Rosemount and Westfield) were also used by the hospital, as was the city's Oldmill Poorhouse. Correspondent Ed Fowler provided the following comments: "This sketch by architect Archibald Simpson features the beautiful building in the Italian style of Architecture. The central statue depicted above the entrance was not realised. It was instituted in November 1840 "For Maintaining, Clothing and Educating Orphan Girls", born of Parents who have resided in the Parishes of St Nicholas, Old Machar, or Nigg, for some 3 Years prior to their decease. The girls were admitted from the age of 4 to 8 years. The building of what was then the Girl's High School (now Harlaw Academy) was incorporated into the 1st Scottish General Hospital, one of 4 Territorial Force military hospitals established in WW1 in Scotland. The buildings of 3 other schools were used by the Hospital (the Central School (later Aberdeen Academy); Rosemount; and Westfield), as well as the City's Poorhouse, along with huts and tents. The hospitals provided beds for 34 officers and 1,385 other ranks."

234

One of our treasures this month was a wartime endeavour of Princess Mary (25 April 1897 - 28 March 1965), the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. Princess Mary's Gift Book was a fundraising volume published on 27 November 1914 by Hodder & Stoughton. All profits from its sale went to the Queen's 'Work For Women' Fund, which was created to secure paid employment for women whose livelihood was threatened by the war. The volume features stories and poems by some of the most popular authors of the day such as J. M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling. The stories are accompanied by black and white illustrations and colour paintings by famous artists like Arthur Rackham and all the artwork was created specifically for the book. Princess Mary's Gift Book was designed to appeal to all members of the family. It opens with a piece by J. M. Barrie on how best to enjoy a holiday in bed and includes many other stories and poems including Magepa the Buck and Out of the Jaws of Death: A Pimpernel by H. Rider Haggard and Baroness Orczy. The gift book was sold for 2s. 6d. and half a million copies were sold within a month of its publication. View the Treasures from our Collection interactive exhibition on the touchscreen to find out more about Princess Mary and her gift book - and discover the coincidence linking the book to one of the biggest supernatural scandals of the 20th Century.

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