48

The Denburn Valley Railway, shown here on the right, was constructed in 1865-67. It runs from the Joint Station at Guild Street north through the valley. To the left of the railway lines is Union Terrace Gardens which were opened to the public on 11th August 1879. The closeness of the railway led to the gardens being nicknamed the "Trainie Park". The bandstand shown here in the centre of the park was removed in around 1931. The iron footbridge visible in this image allowed access over the Denburn and railway between Rosemount and the city centre. It was replaced by the Denburn Viaduct which was built in 1886, at the same time as Rosemount Viaduct, by engineer William Boulton. Part of the footbridge was moved and reassembled in the newly created Duthie Park. This image also predates the construction of significant buildings on Rosemount Viaduct such as the Public Library and the Free South Church (both dating from 1892). In the background, on the left of the image can be seen the houses at the foot of a then longer Skene Terrace. These are on the site later occupied by the library and church. To the right of those houses are Black's Buildings. Local historian Diane Morgan explains that they were "a small curving crescent of tall tenements, four and five storeys high, [and] sat below the Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill, just west of the apex of the Woolmanhill triangle. (...) The houses were built in stages between 1789 and 1830, by the wine merchant James Black." (Lost Aberdeen: Aberdeen's lost architectural heritage, 2004). The tenements were pulled down in 1957. Woolmanhill Hospital, designed by Archibald Simpson and built 1832-1838, can be seen in the background. Chimneys of Broadford Works, the textile factory located between Ann Street, Maberly Street and Hutcheon Street, are also visible.

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.

96

Honeybrae House. This house stood in the middle of a market garden near Morningfield Hospital about one-and-a-half miles west of Aberdeen City Centre. The lands were part of the old royal hunting forest of Stocket, given to the town of Aberdeen by Robert the Bruce. In the 17th century, it came into the ownership of the Skenes of Rubislaw and, in 1875, it was owned by Aberdeen Land Association. This two-storeyed house is most famous for its connection with the poet Lord Byron. In 1798, as a boy of about 10, he was taken there to spend a summer holiday while he was a pupil at Aberdeen Grammar School. At that time, it was probably a fairly new house, standing in its own grounds in a rural situation. He stayed there with his mother and their maid, Isabella Mitchell, before going to visit his old nurse, Agnes Gray. His room was on the first floor. By the 1830s, it was the home of a Captain John Boyd and later of market gardeners. Above the main door, there was a window whose thirteen small designed panes led it to be called 'the thirteen' window. By the 1920s, it had fallen into disrepair and the house was demolished in November 1928. The site was redeveloped for modern housing.

107

Crimonmogate House, Union Street, prior to its demolition in 1963/64. It stood just west of the Music Hall at the corner of Huntly Street. It was designed by John Smith in 1810 as a town house for Patrick Milne of Crimonmogate, Lonmay, near Fraserburgh. By 1840, it had passed to Sir Charles Bannerman and the original arched entrances to the garden behind were replaced by the wings seen in this photo. From 1874, it was the home of the Royal Northern Club until it moved to other premises in 1955. Plans were submitted in 1959 for its demolition, along with the YMCA next door, to make way for a supermarket. Massey's supermarket was opened in 1965. It was a branch of Somerfield, around 2007, and later Sainburys and the Co-op.

126

The street known as the Hardweird, so named as having been built on the Hardweird Croft. The last street in Aberdeen to show the 'forestairs' that were so common in the older streets of the town. Some of the houses were demolished in 1908. The Hardweird ran from Skene Row to Jack's Brae. Skene Row came off Skene Street, opposite Chapel Street. This photograph looks east and is likely taken not far from the junction of Hardweird and Upper Denburn. These dwellings are those that stood on the south side of Hardweird. The land was later developed as utility type facilities with Skene Street School playing field above.

150

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, opened in 1936. This postcard image looks south east and shows the northern side of the general Royal Infirmary building. The photograph must have been taken from around the location of the University of Aberdeen School of Medicine building. Much of these original buildings remain and and are now surrounded by newer additions to the Foresterhill complex.

175

In 1615 Dr. William Barclay wrote a treatise extolling the virtues of the Well of Spa and commending the use of its waters to invalids. Then George Jamesone, the artist, while suffering from calculus of the bladder found relief from the mineral qualities of the well. At the beginning of the 20th century, the well was removed and re-erected inside the wall of the old Royal Infirmary at Woolmanhill and water was introduced into it from another source. Later it was moved to a nearby site behind Aberdeen Central Library, beside the Denburn Car Park.

208

This postcard image, looking west, shows the Mill of Udny, located not far to the south east of Pitmedden, next to the Bronie Burn. This photograph likely dates from the early 20th century. The large building shown here, which old OS maps indicate was a corn mill, is still there at the time of writing in 2022. As is the bridge over the Bronie Burn, though its walls appear to have been lowered. The Mill of Udny is located on a small road, running east to west, between Housieside and Udny Green. The original buildings have been added to and it is now the site of the Mill Business Centre. Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie, an Illustrated Architectural Guide (2006) by Ian Shepherd indicates that this conversion took place in 1991. A waterwheel can be seen on the southern side of the mill in this image. Early 20th century OS maps indicate this was powered by a lade, diverted from the Bronie Burn, that ran through the field to the west. A mill dam was once located to the south west across the field. This image features in the book Old Udny, Tarves and Methlick (2007) by Donna M. Donald. In accompanying information the author states that in 1800 the mill was one of ten working in the Udny area. Donald also states that the mill was built in the middle of the 18th century, "by a forward-thinking laird", and remained in operation until the 1920s.

237

Union Street at its junction with Huntly Street, showing St. Mary's R.C. Cathedral, designed by Alexander Ellis in 1860. The building on the left was designed in 1910 by George Bennett Mitchell for Royal Insurance.

267

Bus driver with his Albion motor bus belonging to the Deeside Omnibus Service, 1930s. This coach was one of several in the fleet of the Ballater based Strachan's Company. For many years, these coaches regularly departed from the SMT depot in Bon Accord Square before journeying to Banchory and beyond. Strachan's Deeside Omnibus Service operated on the Royal Deeside route for many years with Alexanders. This particular 'Aberdeen' bus looks in good condition with gleaming bodywork. Note the roof-rack for any large pieces of luggage.

269

Soldiers of Aberdeen Battery on foot and with horses. They are most likely pulling light field guns linked together in pairs.

278

HMS Clyde in Aberdeen Harbour. She was a training vessel for the Royal Naval Reserve and was moored in the Upper Dock before being scrapped.

280

An early surgical operation at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The fourth figure from the left is Dr Alexander Ogston, the eminent surgeon. An assistant attends to the carbolic spray worked by hand, as used by Lister for the first time in Edinburgh in 1869. The era of sterilised gowns, caps, masks and gloves with antiseptic of dressings, instruments or even the fingers on which Lister later insisted, had not yet arrived.

314

This photograph looks east from the field below Devanha House, roughly where the street Devanha Gardens East stands today, towards the River Dee and Torry beyond. The image shows the old river bed prior to its diversion in 1869. Prospect Terrace can be seen at the end of the field and beyond this lane are buildings of the Devanha Brewery and some nearby houses. The archways that can be seen on the left are part of the viaduct for the Caledonian Railway heading north towards the nearby Guild Street stations. The open archway is likely where Wellington Road, now South College Street, passes under the railway. Much of this viaduct can still be seen today and remains how trains reach the city centre from the south.

315

A photograph showing Princess Beatrice at Aberdeen Music Hall to open a bazaar in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital. The bazaar took place in the Music Hall on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 1898. Princess Beatrice, then known as Princess Henry of Battenberg, opened the bazaar the day before on Friday 28th October. The opening ceremony was covered in the Aberdeen Journal of 29th October 1898, page 5. The article states that Beatrice arrived by train at the Joint Station before travelling to the Music Hall from Guild Street by the horse drawn carriage that we can see here. The route travelled and much of the surrounding area were specially decorated for the occasion. The various businesses and buildings along the route decorated their own premises and many of these decorations are described in the newspaper report. The city gardeners Peter Harper of Duthie Park and Robert Walker of Victoria Park were tasked with creating floral displays. Harper decorated the interior of the Joint Station and the Music Hall, while Walker decorated the route between the two. The special royal train arrived at the joint station a couple of minutes before its scheduled time of 12:15pm. Beatrice was greeted at the station by a large civic and military reception and crowds of onlookers. The newspaper report indicates that travelling in the horse drawn carriage with Beatrice was Miss Minnie Cochrane and Lord William Cecil, both were royal courtiers. The man sat in the carriage is therefore most likely the latter. Following the opening ceremony, Beatrice was entertained at a luncheon at the Palace Hotel by the directors of the Royal Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children. Beatrice and her party returned to Balmoral on a train leaving the station at 2:45pm. The newspaper also tells us that Messrs. Walker & Company, cinematographers, Bridge Street, filmed the procession as it passed along the railway bridge on Guild Street. Assistant photographers with still cameras captured the rest of proceedings. This photograph was likely taken by one of these assistants. A sign for Walker & Company can be seen hanging above the Music Hall entrance. This dates the image as belonging to this later royal visit by Princess Beatrice. She previously visited the city on 27th September 1883 to open an earlier bazaar for the Children's Hospital and to open the newly created Duthie Park

352

Aberdeen Fire Brigade 1875. By the end of the 19th century the brigade was run on a part time basis. Firemen were paid a retaining fee but continued in their normal jobs being called out to fires either by the ringing of the Town House bell in daytime, or being woken by the Town Nightwatchman / Policeman. Assistance with major fires was often sought from soldiers stationed in the Castlehill Barracks and from men from the Royal Naval Training Ship Clyde. Prior to 1885, when the city acquired its first steam fire engine (horsedrawn) fires were fought with a manual fire engine. It required water to be pumped by hand by about 24 men - 12 on each side. The men in the photograph appear to be posed in front of such a machine. It can also be noted that they did not have a full uniform, being only provided with a helmet and belt until 1887. It was not until 1896 that the Fire Brigade was put on a more professional footing when William Inkster was appointed as the City's Firemaster and firemen became fulltime.

363

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.

395

This Adelphi Series postcard shows the Gala Day taking place in Duthie Park on 21st August 1915. The Gala in Duthie Park and the accompanying Heather Day were both organised to raise funds for the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The Gala Day is one of largest events ever to take place at the park. It was estimated that between 25,000 and 26,000 people attended. Tickets cost 6 pence (6d) for general admission and 2s 6d for carriages or motor cars. Within the park there was an elaborate programme of entertainment and refreshments organised. Details of the programme were published in a 32 page booklet prior to the event. Upwards of 1,300 people took part in the programme. Gates to the park opened at 3pm and the event officially commence at 3pm with a grand military parade. Lieut-Colonel A. H. Leith of Glenkindie, Garrison Commander, and Lord Provost James Taggart "took the salute" opposite the Hygiea statue. The Gala and Heather Day were organised by a distinct committee; Taggart was its president and Alexander Findlay, Superintendent of Cleansing, was its chairman. Councillor H. J. Gray was the secretary and treasurer and Mr John Lints was his assistant. There were also conveners and secretaries for various sub-committees concerned with aspects like entertainment and refreshments. There was a wide range of entertainment organised for within the park including singing, dancing, gymnastic displays, musical drill, motor cycle gymkhana and bayonet fighting. Various platforms saw performances from acts such as a company lead by D. M. Kinghorn, pierrots directed by Minnie Mearns, Dan Williams, and W. A. Craig's operatic choir. Charles Soutar lead a 500 strong choir of children from the city's public schools. Practically all naval and military units present in the city were represented at the event and individuals from many of them took part in the sporting competitions. The day also included a 5-a-side football and tug of war competition. Preliminary matches for these took place prior to the day at Pittodrie Park. The Gala Day was filmed and this was later shown as part of a special programme at the Picture House on Union Street from the 25th of the month. Over £500 was taken at the gates for the event. Entertainment and refreshments within further increased the figure raised. Heather Day itself generated another £474. This involved over 1,500 vendors going around all parts of the city selling sprigs of the plant. The sale started on the afternoon of the Friday and continued all through Saturday. Entertainment venues throughout the city were also visited. The vendors were primarily young women and members of organisations like the boys brigade. Stores present in all areas of the city were replenished from a central depot at 173a Union Street. This in turn was supplied by the cleansing department buildings in Poynernook Road, where the preceding week had seen 200,000 sprigs prepared for sale. Peterhead, Inverurie, Ellon and Banchory organised their own Heather Days for the same fund. The sum taken from both the Gala and the Heather Day was estimated at considerably over £1,000. See the report in the Aberdeen Journal, Monday 23rd August 1915 page 8, for further details about the occasion.

409

The Wards at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

438

The premises of G.D. Henderson, Ironmonger, at 23 Bon-Accord Terrace on the corner with the Hardgate. The staff stand outside the main entrance. Garnet D. Henderson first appears in Aberdeen Post Office Directories in the 1910-11 edition and continues to feature into the 1960s. On the 28th of June 1928 The Press and Journal reported that Henderson had been knocked down by a bus on Great Northern Road. He received injuries to his ankle and his left leg was broken. He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and detained for an unspecified period.

440

A factory worker had a hard working day with the day beginning as early as 5.30 same days, wages were also very poor. Woodside works built housing across the field from the mill to house apprentices. The building was known as the Barracks and also Persley Castle. It later served as a residential care home.

463

Ward in Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill.

636

In 1615 Dr. William Barclay wrote a treatise extolling the virtues of the Well of Spa and commending the use of its waters to invalids. Then George Jamesone, the artist, while suffering from calculus of the bladder found relief from the mineral qualities of the well. At the beginning of the 20th. century the well was removed and re-erected inside the wall of the old Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill and water was introduced into it from another source. Later it was moved to a nearby site behind Aberdeen City Library.

687

This view shows the narrow congested Exchequer Row, around 1900. It is a photograph of a watercolour painting by Alexander J. Murray that is in the collection of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums (AAGM). The Balmoral style tower of the Salvation Army Citadel, opened in 1896, is seen in the distance with the Market Cross surrounded by an ongoing market. Exchequer Row (first mentioned in 1350) was a short street connecting the Shiprow to the Castlegate, and on its right side, were a number of courts leading into an area crammed with insanitary dwellings which were later demolished. It was popularly supposed that the name Exchequer Row derived from the Aberdeen Mint which stood in the area. However, it comes from the name of the Royal Customs House - the Skakkarium, dating back to the 14th century.