162

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 singular gateway, with the "minarets", dates from about 1830. 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.

165

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.

284

Union Street looking west. The photograph shows the Music Hall and a busy street scene. There are many pedestrians and people can be seen riding bicycles. A tram, number 30, to Castle Street is in the background. Ornate street lamps can be seen on the left. Tram lines divide the cobbled streets and power lines are visible overhead.

569

Built in 1834 for John Leslie of Powis by Alexander Fraser, the towers formed the east gate and archway from College Bounds, Old Aberdeen. These oriental style towers with minarets have provoked much interest over the years. At one time there was a portrait of John Leslie dressed in Turkish costume, on the walls of Powis House, but there is no obvious connection between the estate and the Middle East. The gateway is also adorned with panels bearing the coats of arms of the Lairds of Powis. The Estate of Powis was owned by the Frasers - their crest is shown on the towers - until the marriage of an heiress to a Leslie. Powis House was built by Hugh Leslie. The house was the home of John Leslie, Professor of Greek at King's College. It was subsequently owned by the Burnett Family. In 1936, J.G. Burnett sold most of the estate to Aberdeen Town Council who built a housing estate in the area comprising over 300 residences. Powis House itself reopened in 1942 as the area's Community Centre and for a while housed a branch of Aberdeen Public Library.

654

Built in 1834 for John Leslie of Powis by Alexander Fraser, the towers formed the east gate and archway from College Bounds, Old Aberdeen. These oriental style towers with minarets have provoked much interest over the years. At one time there was a portrait of John Leslie dressed in Turkish costume, on the walls of Powis House, but there is no obvious connection between the estate and the Middle East. The gateway is also adorned with panels bearing the coats of arms of the Lairds of Powis. The Estate of Powis was owned by the Frasers - their crest is shown on the towers - until the marriage of an heiress to a Leslie. Powis House was built by Hugh Leslie. By the late 19th century it was owned by the Burnett family and was taken over by Aberdeen City Council in the 1930s and converted into a community centre.

1040

Cults Cairn. This round cairn is scheduled as an ancient monument and is probably around 4,000 years old. It was originally one of three but the other two were carted away in December 1892 so that the stones could be used to repair damage to the banks of the River Dee after the massive flooding caused by the 'Muckle Spate'. At this time (1930's) the cairn was in a rural area, but it is now surrounded by a modern housing development in the area between Cults and Bieldside, 3-4 miles west of Aberdeen. It is about 20 metres in diameter and about 5 metres high on a crest overlooking the Dee valley. There was much concern in the late 1970's that the stones were being removed to create paths and rockeries.

1145

Doupin' Stone - new Burgesses were initiated at the Riding of the Marches. Boundary stone ABD31 is next to it. Lecturer James Cruickshank is carrying the stick.

2251

Victoria Road was one of the first streets in the development of New Torry in the late 19th century. As the population of Aberdeen rapidly increased and advances were made in fishing technology there was a need for more housing in Torry. The Torry Land Association controversially bought the land that had previously been occupied by Torry Farm and began work on what would become the main street in Torry. The first houses, Nos 104 and 110, were built by Calder Duncan and David Alexander around 1883. These villas have since however been replaced with the type of granite tenements that dominate the area. In this image the No.43 electric tram is clearly seen on its way from Guild Street to St. Fittick's Road. Torry was one of the last places in Aberdeen to get a tram line, the route being opened in 1903. Tram rosettes are still visible on the frontage of many of Torry's tenements today. The rosettes are where overhead power lines for the trams were fixed into the walls. The last tram to Torry ran in a blizzard in February 1931. In addition to gas lamps, Victoria Road was home to many notable residents over the years. These include Dr Laura Sandison who ran a clinic on the street. She was a pioneering woman doctor, politician and a mentor to Mary Esslemont. Sandison was known to residents of Torry and beyond for always riding her bicycle and in her Press and Journal obituary in 1929 she was described as "the best loved woman in Aberdeen."

2252

Victoria Road was one of the first streets in the development of New Torry in the late 19th century. As the population of Aberdeen rapidly increased and advances were made in fishing technology there was a need for more housing in Torry. The Torry Land Association controversially bought the land that had previously been occupied by Torry Farm and began work on what would become the main street in Torry. This view taken from the junction with Menzies Road shows the Victoria Bar on the corner. This is reputed to be the old site of the Torry Farm duck-pond. The first houses, Nos 104 and 110, were built by Calder Duncan and David Alexander around 1883. These villas have since however been replaced with the type of granite tenements that dominate the area. In this image the No.43 electric tram is clearly seen on its way to Guild Street from St. Fitticks Road. Torry was one of the last places in Aberdeen to get a tram line, the route being opened in 1903. Tram rosettes are still visible on the frontage of many of Torry's tenements today. The rosettes are where overhead power lines for the trams were fixed into the walls. The last tram to Torry ran in a blizzard in February 1931. One of the road's historic gas lamps can also be seen on the near right. Victoria Road was home to many notable residents over the years. These include Dr Laura Sandison who ran a clinic on the street. She was a pioneering female doctor, politician and a mentor to Mary Esslemont. Sandison was known to residents of Torry and beyond for always riding her bicycle and in her Press and Journal obituary in 1929 she was described as "the best loved woman in Aberdeen."

2494

These curious towers stand at the gate that once led 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 singular gateway, with the "minarets" dates from about 1830. The towers were finished in 1834. See article "Powis and its Hermitage" by Mr. J. G. Burnett of Powis, in The Book of Powis, 1906. The crescent on the top of of one of the towers is the crest of the Frasers, the predecessors of the Leslies in the property of Powis.

3178

This 1980s photograph shows stone number 2 flat in the pavement outside the entrance to Ferryhill Library. Subsequent redevelopment of this area has seen the same stone move to a grassy area between the new car park and the roundabout. The Blue Book indicates there is no description of the marker from the 1525 perambulation. It does however give a 1698 description, as taken from Kennedy's Annals of Aberdeen (1818): "Therefrae, ryding in the Hardgate to the house called the Halfpennie house, where there is a march-stone, with an sauser, at the north-west side of said house, on the brink of the burne." It also notes that the stone was missing at the Riding of the Marches in 1889, but had since been replaced. A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use. The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers.

3200

This stone is located in a field 150 metres south-west of the entrance to Hilton Farm, west of Hillhead Road. The 1929 Blue Book describes the location as the north east head of the Den of Murtle. The stone is marked "18 ABD". The marker was described in 1698 as a saucer stone next to a cairn on the edge of a road: by 1929 the road had disappeared but the cairn was still there. The saucer stone survives next to the lettered stone, which had been broken by 1810 and the current one probably dates to the 1821 riding of the marches. The Blue Book includes a image of the lettered stone showing a "T" marked on its back. A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use. The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers.

3213

This stone is located in the same field north of Wynford. It is marked "31 ABD". The line of the marches from number 30 has left the Littlemill Burn, for the Blind Burn, and headed north a short distance. The descriptions in 1525 and 1698 there had not been a marker stone here at those times. In 1780 two large earthfast stones were noted, both saucer marked. It was here that new burgesses underwent the initiation of "doupin'", or being dropped onto the stone. This took place during the Riding of the Marches. The Doupin' cup stone is next to the lettered stone. This is the north west corner of the Freedom Lands. However, the boundary line does go further north that this point; north east to stone number 34 at Greenwelltree, later Craibstone Golf Course. A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use. The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers.

3217

This stone is located in a field north west of Craibstone Golf Course, against a dry stone dyke. It is marked "35 ABD". A saucer marked stone described in 1698 was reported in the 1780 riding as having been removed by quarriers. A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use. The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers.

3356

Seating more than 1400, His Majesty's Theatre is the largest theatre in North-East Scotland and is now a category A listed building. Situated on Rosemount Viaduct, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham and costed £35,000. It was originally built as a replacement for the former Her Majesty's Theatre (now the Tivoli), meeting the need for a larger venue and better staging facilities. Robert Arthur, the theatre impresario, submitted the plans for the new theatre in 1901. Construction started in 1904 and it opened on the 3rd December 1906 with a production of the pantomime Little Red Riding Hood, of which you will see the programme next in this exhibition. The pantomime played to a full house on its opening night and ran until the end of the year to great success. Arthur's company presented plays, opera and pantomimes until 1912, when it ran out of funds. Robert Arthur Theatres Ltd. sold the theatre in 1923 to Walter Gilbert, managing director of the Tivoli Theatre. It changed hands again in 1932, after Gilbert's death, when it was bought by Councillor James F. Donald. The new owner refurbished the venue and introduced new features such as a revolving stage and a cinema projector. In 1975, Aberdeen City council bought the venue, then allocated £3.5 million to give it a new life. After being closed for 23 months, His Majesty's Theatre was reopened on the 17th of September 1982 by Prince Charles. In 2004, the theatre was once again closed for refurbishment. It reopened in 2005, renovated and modernised with a new green room, a coffee shop and re-upholstered seating.

3357

By selecting Red Riding Hood for the opening pantomime, the director of His Majesty Theatre, Mr Robert Arthur, made a happy hit as the traditional children's story attracted many people, young and old. As a pantomime, the story of Little Red Riding Hood got somewhat lost in the musical and operatic melange but the performance was well applauded by both the public and the press. The pantomime, written by Frank Dix and composed by Jullien H. Wilson, was divided into two acts - the first in four scenes and the second in five. This "Book of Words" programme contains the script, photographs of the actors and some local adverts. For the first two nights of the pantomime, bookings were reserved for debenture and preference shareholders only, of which there were a considerable number, as nearly all the money for the new building had been raised locally. The pantomime, which ran till the end of the year, was greeted with whole-hearted applause from start to finish.

3449

The opening show of the HMT was the pantomime Sweet Red Riding Hood which opened on 3rd December 1906. This is the cover of the "Book of Words" which contained the script and some photographs of the cast. [Image from the Aberdeen Performing Arts Archive.]

3505

This photograph looks northwest across Victoria Dock from Blaikie's Quay. Featured prominently is a locomotive marked GNSR (Great North of Scotland Railway). It looks like an Aveling and Porter steam shunter. It is pulling wagons loaded with sacks, most likely contain coal. Workers for the train can be seen riding and walking alongside it. A movable shed, street lamp and signalling device can also be seen on the left of the image. In the background, across the dock, the front elevation of 33 Regent Quay is visible. This long and narrow, neo-classical building, located at the bottom of Marischal Street, was designed by Robert Gordon Wilson and was built in 1901-02 as a harbour branch for the Aberdeen Town and County Bank.

3506

This image looks northeast onto Victoria Dock from Blaikie's Quay. Featured prominently is a locomotive marked GNSR (Great North of Scotland Railway) pulling along a wagon loaded with sacks. It looks like an Aveling & Porter Steam Shunter. The workers for the train can be seen riding and walking alongside it. To the left of the image, a large goods shed can be seen across Victoria Dock on Waterloo Quay.

4461

A photograph of a botanical representation of Aberdeen' coat of arms displayed on the northern slope of Union Terrace Gardens. The Central Library, St. Mark's Church and His Majesty's Theatre are seen in the background. The leopard supporters are formed by two varieties of box-leaved holly; Golden Gem for their fur, and Dark Green for their spots. The latter is also used for the shield's outline and city motto 'Bon Accord'. The surrounding background bed is of Heath Pearlwort, which has white flowers. This image, taken on 29th April 2024, shows the display in its dormant, and untidy, winter state. In summer it would be fully reinstated. For example, Busy Lizzie has been used for the red and white centre of the crest, which shows the three castles of Aberdeen.

4485

A photograph of Thomson's Arch located next to Provost Skene's House on Flournill Lane. Built by the advocate Andrew Thomson in 1673, this archway was located in the nearby Guestrow. It was moved to Union Terrace Gardens in 1931 during the slum clearance of the aforementioned residential area. In 1965, the arch was removed from the park and installed as part of a wall to the south of Provost Skene's House. It remained there until the Marischal Square project, during which it was moved a small distance to create this gateway from Flourmill Lane. The Arch's original crest still remains. It reads: "A.T" (Andrew Thomson) and "A.D 1673". This photograph was taken on 30th April 2024.

38

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), which was demolished in connection with the Powis Housing Scheme. John Leslie succeeded his father in 1812, and the singular gateway, with the "minarets", dates from about 1830. 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.

40

Powis Gateway, Old Aberdeen. These curious towers stand at the gate leading to Powis Lodge, almost opposite King's College, Old Aberdeen. The towers 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 singular gateway, with the "minarets", dates from about 1830. 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." The drawing is by prolific Aberdeen artist Henry Jackson Simpson.

199

Monday 3 December 1906, 7.30pm. His Majesty's Theatre opens its doors to a brilliant audience and a grand production of the pantomime "Red Riding Hood". Our month's treasure features the pantomime's "Book of Words" printed to promote the event. Few things have been more intimately associated with Christmas than the popular family entertainment known by the name of pantomime. The word, borrowing of Latin pantomimus (mime, dancer) and coming from the Greek pantóminos ("imitator of all") took the meaning of a drama or play performed without words at the beginning of the 18th Century. Later traditionally performed at Christmas, it incorporates colourful costumes, slapstick comedy, songs and audience participation... Plots of pantomimes include a number of stock character types: the "principal boy" (the central young male figure, who is sometimes played by a female actor), the "pantomime dame" (always played by a male actor in drag), the villain and other comic characters. In "Sweet Red Riding Hood" at His Majesty's Theatre in 1906, loud calls were directed at the players; Miss Lyuba Lova, a reportedly fascinating Red Riding Hood, Miss Winifried Harbord as Boy Blue and Mr Willie Garvey who made a most amusing Mother Hubbard. By selecting "Red Riding Hood" for the opening pantomime, the director of His Majesty Theatre, Mr Robert Arthur, made a happy hit as the traditional children's story attracted many people, young and old. Because it was a pantomime, the legend got almost lost in the musical and operatic melange but the performance was well applauded by both the public and the press. The pantomime, written by Frank Dix and composed by Jullien H. Wilson, was divided into two acts - the first in four scenes and the second in five scenes. The "Book of Words" contains the script, photographs of the actors and some local adverts. For the first two nights of the pantomime, bookings were reserved for Debenture and Preference shareholders only, of which there were a considerable number, as nearly all the money for the new building has been raised locally. The pantomime, which ran till the end of the year, was greeted with whole-hearted applause from start to finish.