7

In 1838, the North of Scotland Bank purchased the New Inn and other properties at the corner of Castle Street and King Street. The architect Archibald Simpson was invited to submit plans for the Bank's Head Office on the cleared site. This is a photograph of one of his designs which was not accepted. It shows a building with a curved corner topped with a dome and Corinthian columns running through the first and second floors supporting a pediment over an elaborate cornice. The plan which was adopted also had three storeys but the entrance was a Corinthian portico at the corner topped with an open platform with a terracotta sculpture group by James Giles, representing Ceres, goddess of plenty.

103

Wallace Tower in the Netherkirkgate looking towards St. Nicholas Church. The tower never had any connection with William Wallace. It is believed to have been the town residence of Sir Robert Keith of Benholm. The name "Wallace" may have been a corruption of "well-house". The Wallace Tower was re-sited at Tillydrone in the 1960s. Correspondent Ed Fowler suggests that the ornamental building shown on the left at the end of the Netherhirkgate, next to the horse and cart, is the Dyers' Hall. The name refers to the Dyers' or Litsters Society who were once an important and wealthy industrial group in Aberdeen. Newspaper notices suggest the building was used as a public house, where societies regularly met, and that it, and other buildings, were demolished in around 1807 to make way for a new street between Union Street and Tannery Street.

173

Bishop's Loch lies to the north of Aberdeen, just within the city boundary. A charter from the 12th century refers to the lands of Goul or Goval, where the Bishop of Aberdeen had his palace or residence on an island in Loch Goul, now called Bishop's Loch, where at one time the site was visible. The approach to the palace was by a drawbridge. At this time, the Bishops were engaged in developing the Chanonry in Old Aberdeen. Over time, the lands outside the Chanonry were sold off. This photograph shows a much larger expanse of water than now exists. The water level has been lowered and certain areas are silted up and there is lush growth of various wetland plants. Nearby, there is new housing and a sand gravel quarry. Many discussions took place about the possible creation of a nature reserve to encompass this loch and two other nearby lochs - Lochs Corby and Lily - and they were listed as Sites of Special Scientific Interest in October 1983.

288

Located on the outskirts of Huntly, the castle stands on the south bank of the River Deveron. The castle dates from the late 12th century with a Norman Motte and Bailey , a medieval L-Plan tower house and defence earthworks of the Civil War nearby. The castle was the home of the Gordons, a powerful Catholic family who once ruled over much of the North-East. The main structure was begun by Lord Gordon in 1452, being built in the new 'Palace' style. The castle was not completed in its final form until 1597/1606. In 1650 it was visited briefly by Charles ll, on his way to Worcester, defeat and exile. After the Civil War, the castle fell into disuse and the Dukes of Gordon moved to Fochabers. Much of the impressive ruin still remains including the fine heraldic doorway. The castle is now the property of Historic Scotland, and is open to the public.

412

A postcard image showing Union Terrace Gardens in the centre of Aberdeen. There are a couple of notable features that might be able to help date the image: there is no bandstand present and the lower, central area in this image is still in the older lay-out with wide dividing paths. The removal of the bandstand and change of lay-out may have been carried at around the same time. A minute from an Aberdeen Town Council meeting of 21st September 1931, detailing a recommendation from the Links and Parks Committee to the full Council, reads as follows: "The Committee had before them a report by the Superintendent of the City Parks, in which he points out that he has had the bandstand in Union Terrace Gardens examined, that it is in a bad state of repair, and that he has been informed that the cost of repairing the worn-out parts would be almost equal to the cost of a new stand. He further states that the bandstand has not been used for some years, owing to the noise from the adjoining railway interfering with the performances, and suggests that the stand should be removed, the site and surrounding pathways levelled, covered with soil and sown with grass seed. If this were done, the playing area would be increased by 1,407 square yards, as shown coloured yellow on the plan herewith submitted, thereby giving greater facilities to the large number of children who frequent the Gardens. "The Committee approved of the report, and beg to recommend that the Council should grant authority to the Superintendent of Parks to have the bandstand removed and the other work carried out as proposed." (Minutes and Proceedings of Town Council, City of Aberdeen, 1930-1931, page 660. The full Council approved this recommendation from the Links and Parks Committee. In light of this information, the image may date from relatively shortly after September 1931. After the bandstand has been removed but before the ground had been leveled and sown as a single larger grass lawn.

771

A photograph of the the Quaker meeting house that was located between Gallowgate and Sea Mount Place. This image shows the front elevation of the building that faced south east on to Port Hill. The large scale Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen (sheet LXXV.11.8., surveyed in 1867) indicates that their associated burial ground was located to the west of the building, towards Gallowgate. The plan also states that the meeting house had seating for 350 people. The Quaker Meeting Houses Heritage Project (link here) states that the group first established their meeting house and burial ground on this site in 1672 and they continued to meet there until moving to a new location in 1800. This building was later acquired by John Watt & Sons, leather merchants. The upper part had louvre windows which made it suitable for drying leather. Later OS maps suggest the building may have stood as a ruin into the mid-20th century. At the time of writing in 2022, the site is now an elevated outdoor space surrounded by blocks of flats, to the south of Porthill Court, that go from Gallowgate around Seamount Road A more recent, late-Victorian Quaker meeting house can be found at 98 Crown Street, Aberdeen. To find out more about Quakers in Aberdeen, in addition to the above mentioned Quaker Meeting House Heritage Project, there is information on a relevant collection of books held by the University of Aberdeen, including a list of associated publications, here.

811

A photograph showing Wellington Lodge on the corner of Justice Mill Lane and Holburn Street. The top of Holburn Street, towards Holburn Junction, was previously known as South Street and later as Wellington Place. In the background of this image, on the far left, can be seen the John Smith designed Water House on Union Street. Wellington Lodge stood across the road from Holburn Church, roughly where the Glentanar Bar stands today. It can be seen on the large scale Ordnance Survey town plan and map sheets from the 1860s. The property appears to have belonged to the Whytes of Dalhebity, Cults. For some time Wellington Lodge was the residence of Helen Whyte and she was likely the house's final resident. Helen Whyte died aged 85 on 31st January 1898 (death notice: Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 09/02/1898, p. 4). Newspaper references suggest she was involved in various charitable activities. She was the daughter of Baillie John Whyte, a merchant, and had a brother also called John Whyte (1845-1904), a prominent citizen and advocate. Another death notice indicates that Mary Ann Hardie, of 48 Victoria Road, Torry, was employed for 38 years as the servant for Miss Helen Whyte. Hardie died in 1895 (death notice: Aberdeen Journal, 17/08/1895, p. 4). Newspapers also suggest the villa was the home of Miss Mary Murray Gordon. She would likely have been a relation of James Murray Gordon who was a partner in the same law firm as John Whyte, Helen's aforementioned brother. Wellington Lodge was probably demolished shortly after the death of Helen Whyte. It made way for the extension of the larger tenement buildings on Holburn Street that can be seen in the background of this photograph. The Aberdeen Weekly Journal's 'Granite Chips' column of 17th May 1899 (p. 9) states "A very large and handsome block of buildings for Mr Peter Farquharson has been erected in Holburn Street, stretching from the office of the Union Bank of Scotland to Justice Mill Lane." This most likely refers to this development. David Miller in Archibald Simpson, Architect, His Life and Times 1790-1847 (2006) states that this villa was designed by Simpson for Mrs Yeats of Auquharney (page 174).

1383

The opening ceremony was held in the new Reading Room on 5 July 1892 where a platform had been erected covered in crimson cloth and decorated with plants and flowers. The original seating plan is held in Aberdeen City Archives.

1487

A photograph looking south west from Broad Hill towards the Bannermill (or Banner Mill) cotton works. The road in the foreground is that which would become Links Road. This continued along the north side of the factory and had a junction with Constitution Street at the north east corner of the works. The land shown in front of Bannermill is Queen's Links. The location of Bannermill is now occupied by a large square shaped complex of mostly early 21st century flats (completed 2004), with parking in its middle, and a main entrance, on Bannermill Place, accessed from Constitution Street. The factory was established in 1827 by Thomas Bannerman and closed down in 1904, then under the management of Messers Robinson, Crum & Co. Limited. The premises were used as stores and for various types of works during the 20th century. In 1999 the 5.8 acres site was put on the market by the then owners, the North Eastern Farmers (NEF) co-operative, with a price of around £5million. NEF left the site in February 1999 to move to a new headquarters at Rosehall, Turriff. (See P&J, 11 November 1999, p. 7) Aberdeen City Council subsequently produced a planning brief for developers calling for a housing or mixed housing and hotel development on the site. Wimpey House submitted a plan for 349 luxury flats and this proposal was given the go-ahead. Construction primarily took place during 2002 and 2003, with the first residents moving-in in October 2002.

1955

Plan of Marischal College, University of Aberdeen.

2586

In September 1850 an advert appeared in the local papers of Aberdeen for "Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen, giving a Distinct and Correct View of the Whole City and Environs". We hold copy of the plan from 1850 in our Local Studies collection. The plan was available to purchase for 3s. 6d. and measured 34 inches by 19 inches. Carvers and gilders, J. & J. Hays, had premises at 2 Market Street where they also sold prints and optical instruments. At the bottom left of the image we see the words George Wilson, Delt. (abbreviation of delineator, i.e. the artist). George Wilson was to find fame a few years later as George Washington Wilson when he became one of Scotland's premier photographers. George Washington Wilson George Washington Wilson was born in 1823 at Waulkmill of Carnousie in Banffshire and left school at 12 years of age to be an apprentice carpenter. He practised his artistic skills by drawing portraits of friends and neighbours and, after training at art schools in Edinburgh and London, he returned to Aberdeen to become an art teacher and portrait painter. By the late 1840's Wilson was attracted by the work of Fox Talbot in the new art of photography and after initial experiments with a homemade camera, he advertised a business offering photographic portraits before eventually expanding into landscape photography. A Bird's Eye View of History Wilson created this panoramic view of the city by making numerous sketches from the roofs of high buildings and then merging them into one comprehensive drawing. We are looking north across the city from the harbour with Union Street running horizontally across the centre and Old Aberdeen in the far distance. We can see how small the city actually was at this time - open fields are visible just to the north of the west end of Union Street. A key to the most prominent buildings was provided and it is interesting to see which buildings have survived until today, often with additions, and which had yet to be built. Robert Gordon's Hospital (now College), Marischal College, and various churches including the Triple Kirks and St Nicholas East and West are all still standing but the West Prison, Castlehill Barracks and the Poorhouse have been demolished. Bird's Eye View 1889 In December 1889, the Aberdeen Free Press offered its readers an updated version of the Bird's Eye View as a supplement to their newspaper. Numerous changes to the landscape of the city had taken place since Wilson's view.

2668

A photograph taken at the bottom of Rosemount Viaduct, on 24th January 2018, showing two local Aberdeen shops; MAIDINVINYL Records and Plan 9. MAIDINVINYL Records, 7 Rosemount Viaduct, opened at these premises in April 2017 and sell a large selection of new and second hand records. On their website they state that "we believe that vinyl records are one of the greatest inventions ever made. They present music fans with one of the purest form of sound that any format of recorded music has offered." Next door at 9 Rosemount Viaduct is the longstanding comic shop, Plan 9. Its name references both its building number and an Ed Wood cult film from 1959. The shop sells a large range of comics, graphic novels, toys, board games and related items.

3108

A photograph of the Well of Spa in around 1969 at its second location, on Spa Street, in the western periphery wall of Woolmanhill Infirmary. This site is still identifiable today by the curving recess in the low wall and the now leveled out supporting wall, both shown in this image. A digital copy of this image was kindly given to Aberdeen Local Studies by our colleagues in the Masterplanning, Design and Conservation Team. It was the then Department of Planning and Building Control that oversaw the restoration and relocation of the structure to its current site outside Denburn Car Park in 1976/77. The plans were drawn up by Aberdeen City Council planner John Souter. In reference to the well's Woolmanhill location he was quoted in the newspaper saying "The Victorians were great for shifting things and they weren't fussy where they put them." The stone structure, which was built in around 1635, was previously located on the western side of Spa Street, in front of Garden-Nook Close. This location can be viewed on the 1867 Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen (sheet LXXV.11.12) and in other photographs on this site. The 1970s restoration and relocation of the well was advocated by councillor Frank Magee. The project, estimated to cost £4,500, was met with opposition and it was only given the go-ahead after considerable debate. The restoration of the well was carried out by a masonry firm, based in Birnie, called Moray Stonecutters. It was temporarily transported to Elgin for the work. An additional £4,500 was spent in the creation of a new garden surrounding the well by a Job Creation team. It was called the Four Neukit Garden in reference to the old amenity gifted to Aberdeen, along with the original stone structure, by the portrait painter George Jamesone. Coverage of work on the well can be read in local newspapers from the time. The finishing touches on the well's final relocation were reported in the Evening Express of Saturday, 22nd October 1977, page 16.

3177

This stone is located near the kerb at 79 Hardgate, at the east side of the intersection with Union Glen. It is march stone 1 and marks the the junction of the Inner and Outer Marches to the south of the town. The 1929 Blue Book gives the following 1525 description for an earlier version of the stone: "[...] ane gret grey stane, with ane sawssir [...]". It was still marked with a saucer in 1698 but a new stone marked '1 ABD CR' was in place by the late 18th century. The Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen from 1867 has a first March stone marked on the north east corner of the New Bridge, on the Hardgate, which went over the then open Hol Burn. This stream ran east then south, joining Ferryhill Burn on its way to the Dee (where we can now find the Alpha stone). The Hol and Ferryhill burns have since been fully, or for the most part, covered over by urban development. The Blue Book records stone 1 at the north gable of 81 Hardgate and a photograph of it up-right at this location is included. The inscription in this 1980s image looks different and the marker was likely moved to this flat, roadside location when the properties on the Hardgate were redeveloped sometime in the mid-20th century. The stone would have been either moved and altered, or replaced. The stone in 2020 looks in better condition than shown here in the 1980s, which suggests it has had further attention in the intervening years. 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.

3386

In 1960 the education committee of Aberdeen Town Council proposed the conversion of the empty North and Trinity Parish Church into an adult education and civic arts centre. The plan was given final approval in February 1961, much to the delight of Aberdeen's art enthusiasts. The Evening Express detailed the need for such a venue at the time by describing the difficulties faced by the William Gavin Players, a local drama group, in staging a play earlier that week in the ballroom of the Music Hall. They had to overcome the roar of a nearby wrestling audience, the incessant ringing of an unanswered telephone, a cramped stage and poor acoustics. A temporary restriction on capital expenditure and a particularly severe winter caused delays for the conversion. Work began in late 1961 and was concluded by the autumn of 1963. The work cost around £33,000 and saw the reconstruction of the interior and a thorough re-vamp for the building's exterior. At one point the new centre was going to be called Longacre, but this idea was scrapped in favour of Aberdeen Arts Centre. The completed venue was opened on 18th October 1963 by Sir Herbert Read (1893-1968), an art critic, poet and anarchist philosopher. In his speech Read criticised the main political parties of the day for neglecting the development of the arts and the human imagination in favour of a blind drive for scientific and technological efficiency. In addition to the 385-seat auditorium, the venue had an exhibition space, a lounge, and a tea bar. The Arts Centre has remained the focal point for local arts groups and arts education to this day. It has also served as a meeting place and provided a useful stage for theatrical productions of all types. In 1998, facing the need to cut £17.5 million from their budget, Aberdeen City Council withdrew their funding from the Arts Centre. This left the future of the venue in danger. A popular campaign to avoid its closure was led by Annie Inglis MBE (1922-2010), Aberdeen's first lady of theatre. This led to the Aberdeen Arts Centre Association taking over the venue on a voluntary basis and the eventual formation of the Castlegate Arts Limited, a company with charitable status who continue to run the venue today. Over the years the Arts Centre has played host to many noted local theatre groups like the Attic Theatre Co., The Revue Group, the aforementioned William Gavin Players, Phoenix Theatre, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Aberdeen Opera Company, Confederate Theatre, Dragongate Theatre, and no doubt many more. It remains a much-loved venue for performers and audiences of all ages.

3410

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Casino cinema in around 1963. The Casino cinema was opened on Wales Street on 7th February 1916 by John Peter Kilgour, a dealer in various waste materials. It had close competition with Bert Gate's Star Picture Palace just around the corner on Park Street. Michael Thomson in The Silver Screen in the Silver City describes the Casino as the second of Aberdeen's purpose-built picture halls. It and the "Starrie" served the population of the city's east end for many years. The Casino was built on the site of Kilgour's factory yards. The architects for the project were George Sutherland and Clement George. The building's "Spanish villa" design is described by Thomson as unique for Aberdeen and highly unusual throughout Scotland. One distinctive feature was the low square tower at the Park Street side of the building that was topped by a red-tiled concave pyramidal roof. Thomson writes that features of the building combined to "bring a welcome splash of colour and gaiety to an otherwise drab corner of the city." Following the death of John Peter Kilgour in 1920, the running of the Casino and his waste business was taken over by his son, Ormande L. Kilgour. In the silent era the venue was a stronghold of cine-variety, showing all manner of performances in-between film screenings. In February 1936 the cinema celebrated its 20th birthday and a cake was cut by Kilgour and one the Casino's oldest patrons, a Mrs Stewart. In November 1939 Bert Gates and Aberdeen Picture Palaces bought a controlling interest share in the Casino. The Beach Boulevard, which opened on 25th May 1959, ran directly outside the cinema and gave the Casino a prominent location. In March of that year the cinema was given a thorough renovation. Despite its new prominent location and recent renovation, the Casino closed down as a cinema on Saturday 3rd October 1959. A spokesperson for the Donald Cinemas Group stated in the Evening Express at the time that the closure was due to the housing in the area being pulled down and people moving to new estates. Michael Thomson suggests that the proximity of the relatively new first-run Regal in Shiprow might also have drawn away the hoped-for holiday crowds from the Casino. In 1961 the empty Casino was sold to local bookmakers James Rennie and Arthur Forbes to be used as a bingo hall. This was at the height of bingo's popularity and the Casino proved too small. The bingo operation was moved to the Kingsway Cinema which had showed its final film, Warlord of Crete on 3rd February 1962. The area around the Casino was earmarked for redevelopment by Aberdeen Town Council. The cinema building was compulsorily purchased and, after spending some time as a store, was demolished at the same time as the Star in 1971. The site is now occupied by a residential development. [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

3413

This photograph shows the Picturedrome/Cinema House building in the mid-to-late 1970s, after it had ceased being a cinema. As with many cinemas at the time, it was converted into a bingo hall. In 1981 it was rechristened Casino Bingo. In the Evening Express of 22nd December 1986 it was announced that Coral Social Clubs of Nottingham had purchased the Kingsways on King Street and Casino Bingo on Skene Terrace. Both were former cinemas owned by James F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas) that were then operational as bingo halls. The chairman of James F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas), Richard Donald, confirm the sale of the venues and expressed sadness to see them go, particularly the old Cinema House hall that had been in the family firm for over 50 years and that he had managed as a 14-year-old. Both venues were retained as bingo halls by Coral Social Clubs, which later became known as Gala Bingo. In 1995 the Cinema House building was redeveloped and opened as a 350-capacity live entertainment centre. It was named the Playhouse after the old Donald owned cinema located at the west end of Union Street. The new Playhouse offered live music, cabaret and dancing. At the time of opening a spokesperson for the owners, Balgownie Development Company Ltd., said "We're offering a full night's entertainment where they can come in have a meal and enjoy a night of cabaret and dancing all under the one roof". Interior changes were kept to a minimum in the redevelopment to retain the atmosphere (Evening Express, 21/10/1995, p. 4). 1995 also saw the opening of the Stage Door Restaurant in the North Silver Street side of the building. The eatery was from the same team that operated Aberdeen's Courtyard Restaurant and retained a number of design features from its time as a cinema. The restaurant had an impressive large bowed ceiling and theatre related wall illustrations. This space was later occupied by a computer gaming and esports hub called Engage Gaming. In 2020 this company changed their name to Reset Gaming and moved to premises on John Street. After the Playhouse, the main part of the building was occupied by the Forum from 1998 and operated as a well-known concert and events venue. Most recently it was a venue called The Assembly, which sadly closed down in 2019.

3836

This photograph from 1967 shows children reading books in Northfield Library, Aberdeen. Northfield Library opened in October 1955 as part of a plan formulated by the Library Committee to extend the provision of branch libraries into new housing areas. In January 1950, building began on the Northfield estate, the first major housing development in post war Aberdeen. By June 1952, 800 families had moved to the area and were served by the mobile library which made evening visits to Marchburn Drive and Deansloch Terrace. These sites were very busy with over 9,000 books issued and people often queued to use the service. At a meeting of the Public Library Committee in January 1953 it was agreed to ask Aberdeen Corporation to erect a library building on a site in Northfield. The construction of a new branch library began in the autumn of 1954. On 12th October 1955, the G. M. Fraser Branch (named in memory of the late City Librarian) was officially opened on Byron Square by Mr. Thomas Johnston, former Scottish Secretary. The success and popularity of Northfield Library inspired the committee to open a similar unit on the adjacent housing estate of Mastrick. The first section of the new Mastrick Branch Library opened on Greenfern Road on 18th October 1957, with the second section opening in 1961.

4223

A photograph looking south from Bridge Street in Ballater towards the front elevation of Glenmuick Parish Church. A small part of Ballater's war memorial can be seen seen on the left. Glenmuick Parish Church was built in 1873-74 to a design by Aberdeen architect John Russell Mackenzie (1833-1889). Describing its historical importance on their listed buildings portal, Historic Environment Scotland state the following: "Francis Farquharson, and later his brother William, planned Ballater in the late 18th century, following the discovery that the Pannanich Wells across the River Dee were deemed to have miraculous healing qualities. This led to a steady stream of visitors and Ballater was planned as a village that could house them. The village was based on a rectilinear plan with the church at its centre. This early church was a simple building with a wooden steeple and was built to accommodate the people of the three surrounding parishes - Glengairn, Tullich and Glenmuick. It was consecrated in 1800. "With Queen Victoria's interest in Balmoral in the 1850s and the arrival of the railway to the town in 1866, Ballater grew more prosperous and the older church was thought not be sufficiently in keeping with the new more prosperous town and the present church was built." The war memorial in the bottom left, designed by Sir John J. Burnett, commemorates soldiers who died in World War I and II. It was unveiled on 23rd July 1922 (Press & Journal, 24th July 1922). This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department.

4559

A photographic portrait of artist Robert Sivell (1888-1958) that featured in the Bon-Accord and Northern Pictorial newspaper of 12th January 1939, page 8. Alongside a portrait of George Jamesone (1589/90-1644, this image illustrates an article by Cuthbert Graham (1911-1987) titled 'These men are putting us on the map'. This article was written on the occasion of a Royal Academy Exhibition of Scottish Art taking place in London at Burlington House. Graham contrasts the older, and often late, artists of this exhibition (e.g. Jamesone, William Dyce, Robert Brough, John Philip and Pittendrigh Macgillivray) with the modern art scene of Aberdeen, including Sivell and the murals at the new Student Union buildings he was then overseeing. The article also speculates on the relative status of Aberdeen in the overall world of Scottish art. The caption accompanying the portrait of Sivell reads "Mr Robert Sivell, A.R.S.A., who is directing the work of Gray's School art students in the murals at the new Students' Union." Describing the nature of the murals, which had only recently begun to be painted, Graham writes the following: "The decorations are serious in conception and humanistic in temper. They will enhance the actual fabric of this building and will make it, I doubt not, a show place in itself. Unlike the usual run of decorations in this rackety modern age, they will not reflect the 'temporary' impulse that creates picture palaces, pubs, and dance-halls. A more permanent quality will give them a longer life than most modern murals can hope to enjoy." Graham's article goes on to describe the planned murals in more detail. Before finally highlighting the importance of D. M. Sutherland, then head of Gray's School of Art, as both an individual artist and to the wider Aberdeen art scene . Robert Sivell was the principal teacher of painting and drawing at Gray's School of Art. An obituary for him can be found in the Evening Express newspaper of 19th April 1958, page 4. This obituary states that Sivell was a native of Paisley and product of Glasgow School of Art. Prior to working as an artist, he was apprenticed as an engineer. During the Second World War Sivell was commissioned with the War Artists' Advisory Committee. Sivell was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1943 and retired from Gray's in 1954. He died aged 69 at his home The Hollow, Stell, Kirkcudbright. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.

185

This plan of the tramway routes in Aberdeen was produced about 1914 and shows the route colours which were displayed as coloured bands on the top-deck of the Corporation tramcars. There were nine routes which covered most of the city as it existed at this time. Trams were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1870s when a group of local businessmen successfully obtained Parliamentary sanction under the Aberdeen District Tramways Act 1872 to set up the Aberdeen District Tramways Company. By 1874, they had constructed their first two lines - one running from Queen's Cross, via Albyn Place and Union Street, to the North Church (now Aberdeen Arts Centre), King Street and the second from St. Nicholas Street and George Street to Kittybrewster. Their horse-drawn trams were opened to the public in September 1874 with two cars which could each carry 20 inside passengers and 4 cars for 20 inside and 20 outside passengers. A fare of 3d was charged for the full route. In their first year they carried 1.1 million passengers. Over the years additional routes were constructed to Woodside, Mannofield, Bridge of Dee, and Bridge of Don. By the late 1890s, consideration was being given to the introduction of electric traction in place of horse haulage. After lengthy discussions, the decision was made to sell the company to Aberdeen Corporation and the transfer was completed in August 1898. By 1902 all the tracks had been converted to electric traction and new routes to Torry and Ferryhill were opened in 1903. Motor buses had first appeared in 1920 and a service from Castle Street to Footdee opened in January 1921. By the 1930s the expansion of the city was creating problems for the tramway system. It was far too expensive to build new track while maintaining the existing routes. The non-profitable Torry and Ferryhill services closed in 1931. The ongoing housing developments in the 1950s forced the Town Council to take the decision in January 1955 that the tramway system would close by 1959. Over the next few years individual routes ceased until the last trams ran in May 1958. Most of the remaining cars were burnt at the Links and the metal was sold for scrap.

201

This month we are delighted to welcome the visit of the PATLIB (Patent Library) UK Annual General Meeting to Aberdeen. The meeting is taking place for the first time in Scotland. The PATLIB UK network consists of 15 libraries & information centres, including Aberdeen City Libraries, which provide an intellectual property information service at a local level to the local business community and members of the public. Aberdeen Central Library has a long and proud history of providing access to and information on patents and other intellectual property related subject areas. The Reading Room of the new Central Library building opened in 1892 on Rosemount Viaduct was situated on the ground floor. A floor plan of the Reading Room floor published in the 1892 'Manual for Readers' by the Librarian Alexander Robertson includes a 'Patents Room'. The large print based collection of patent literature formerly held by Aberdeen City Libraries has long been dispersed. We have however retained our collection of volumes of British patent abridgements dating from 1619 - 1883 one of which is this volume published in 1882 containing abridgements of specifications on writing instruments and materials. The abridgements, dating from 1867 - 1876, include an abridgement of the above mentioned specification. Back in 1871 when our patent specification example was sealed, there was little prospect of the 'happy day' occurring in July 1892 when Andrew Carnegie officially opened the new library building. Prior to 1892 attempts to establish a Public Library in the City had met with repeated failure. On the 4th July 1871, just a little after five months our patent specification was sealed at the end of January of the same year, at a Public Meeting of Householders, a resolution for the non-adoption of the Public Libraries Act in the City was unanimously adopted. It was not until 1884 that the Public Libraries Act would be adopted in Aberdeen.

226

In this Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design we feature a plan from our archive showing the proposed extension to the original Central Library building. Previously, the building was around half the size of what it is now - the area which houses the Children's Library and Media Centre was added in the extension to the building in 1905. By 1900 - less than 10 years since the Central Library first opened - the need for an extension was recognised with reports from the time describing The Reading Room as "congested, dark and inaccessible". In 1902, the architects Brown and Watt designed a 2-storey central piece with a single storey extending west to the junction of Skene Street, and ending in a tower. The extension cost £7,700 and opened on 18 May 1905. Built in keeping with the character of the main structure, it was described as a "harmony of architectural features". Facilities included a new Reading Room, a Stock Room, an upgraded Reference Department and public toilets. The new Reading Room was painted in colours of citron and cream and described as "handsome, airy, bright and convenient". The 2000 readers who frequented it daily would have been well satisfied with 21 dailies, 100 weeklies, 78 monthlies and 11 quarterlies to choose from. Railway Timetables were also stocked. The rules of the reading room were strictly enforced. Time restraints on newspapers were also in operation. Readers were given 10 minutes to "occupy a page if another reader has expressed a wish to have it turned".

238

In its heyday Aberdeen attracted visitors from all over the UK and established itself as one of Britain's leading holiday resorts. This is the Links and Sea Beach Development Plan of 1923 which ultimately led to the transformation of Aberdeen into a first class holiday resort. In September 1919, Aberdeen Town Council took the decision to develop and improve Aberdeen Beach with the construction of a large entertainments building comprising a concert hall, restaurant, dining room, dance hall and lounge, beach pavilion and two shopping arcades. Messrs. Roberts and Hume of Bathgate were chosen to design the proposed scheme in 1926, at an estimated cost of £42,717. The final design incorporated all requested features excluding the shopping arcades, but the dance hall - known now as Aberdeen Beach Ballroom - became one of the finest dance halls in Scotland.