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.

436

St. Nicholas Street looking up Flourmill Brae. The Equitable Building is on the right. These buildings were demolished in 1985 to make for for the St. Nicholas Centre. Provost Skene House and St. Nicholas House are visible at the top of the road.

453

A photograph showing school children on the roof top playground of Frederick Street Primary School in around 1907. This was one of very few such playgrounds in the city, perhaps one of only two. The Central School on Schoolhill also had a comparable, roof-top playground for at least some of its history. Frederick Street School opened in 1905 and had a role of 332 infants and 764 senior/junior pupils. The unusual, elevated playground measured 750 square feet.

532

A scene of change and renovation in the Denburn Valley. The image looks south from Union Bridge over the suburban platforms of the old Aberdeen Joint Railway Station. The old station's large, curved roof can be seen in the background. The area we are looking at has seen much change since this time. It is now largely covered by the 1960s retail development on the south side of the bridge, the later Trinity Centre, the development of Wapping Street and Denburn Road, and the building of Atholl House. Though many of the buildings of note we can see in this image are still visible today. The tall buildings on the far right are the rear of those on Bridge Street. The small street in front of them, going up to Guild Street, is the start of College Street. It is now a partially pedestrianised lane that goes under Wapping Street. The building at the top of this street is the classical style suburban ticket office, built 1909 and now home to Tiffany Hair & Beauty. Going west along Guild Street's two span road bridge we come to the Great North of Scotland Railway Company's headquarters. This was designed by architects Ellis & Wilson and built in 1894. It is now part of the Station Hotel, along with number 78 next door. The building retains many of its original features. The Guild Street entrance to the Trinity Centre now runs along the western side of this building. The image also shows features that are no longer present. The covered walkway that can be seen on the near right of the image enabled direct access from the station's central platform to the Palace Hotel on Union Street. The hotel was owned by the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. (GNSR). The walkway was vaulted to pass over the tracks at sufficient height. Consulting The Joint Station: Aberdeen Station, 1867-1992 (c1992), this image probably dates from 1912 when, in additional to commencing the reconstruction of the Joint Station, the GNSR also laid new loading docks and carriage storage siding in the Hadden Mills site (left of image). This was to ensure that the main station buildings were used purely for passenger traffic. The walkway that linked Windmill Brae and the Green, known affectionately as the Puffing Briggie, can be seen in the centre of the image. It looks like a section on the left has been temporarily demolished as part of the ongoing work. The sidings on the extreme left were used for cleaning carriages in the later 20th century. One of our correspondents recounts using the often-unattended carriages, accessible when entering the station from the Green, as an unusually exciting and plush playground during their youth in the late-1940s.

652

Aberdeen Football Club's open top bus parade of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. The photograph looks north west across Union Street towards its junction with Union Terrace. Aberdeen defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in the final held in Gothenburg, Sweden on 11th May 1983. The conquering heroes landed, cup in hand, at Aberdeen Airport at 14.40 the next day. The team received a rousing reception and were given a celebratory cake on arrival from an offshore catering company. It was then on to the open top bus for the journey from Dyce to Pittodrie. Grampian Fire Brigade lined-up their engines outside their Anderson Drive headquarters as a unique guard of honour for the team as they headed for the city centre. As shown here, the city streets were packed with fans of all ages, including some who had travelled back from Gothenburg. Lord Provost Alex Collie, the Queen Mother and Margaret Thatcher all provided messages of congratulations. Celebrations ended at a teeming Pittodrie. Aberdeen FC had another triumphant tour through the city centre only 10 days later after they beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park. The match was on the Saturday 21st May and the parade in Aberdeen was the next day.

710

A photograph looking north west up Jack's Brae, from its junction with Upper Denburn, in the Rosemount area. Jack's Brae was named after the owner of property there. This photograph likely dates from the mid-to-late 19th century. The Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen, 1:500 scale, surveyed in 1866-67 depicts a "Coffee Roasting and Grinding Works" at the top of Jack's Brae at its junction with Leadside Road. A large chimney of these works can be seen on the right side of this image in the distance. These works were the premises of John Strachan. In the Aberdeen Post Office Directory for 1867-68, Strachan is described as follows: "Strachan, John, coffee roaster, coffee, sugar, and sugar grinder, Jack's brae" (page 213). Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record describes the site thusly: "Site of meal mills, built in the 18th - 19th Centuries and demolished in the 1980s. The works was two-storey with a basement, comprising a 9-bay range with a single kiln and a three-storey with attic 5 by 6-bay block of later date. There were also two 2-storey store blocks. The mill was originally water powered, later electrically driven. The OS 1st edition map depicts a coffee roasting and grinding works here; they are annotated as corn mills on the OS 25in map published 1924." (link here). The business was known as John Strachan & Sons and the works as Gilcomston Mill. The business was started in around 1852 and John Strachan was succeeded as its proprietor by his son James Strachan (1838-1914). His obituary can be found in the Evening Express of 28th December 1914, page 5. His son, John Strachan, was later to become the business's managing director. The obituary of this later John Strachan can be found in the Press & Journal of 1st July 1935, page 8. At the time of writing in 2022, the site is occupied by a residential complex called Strachan Mill Court - no doubt named after the coffee roasting and milling enterprise.

1023

This photograph from the early 1900's shows a pair of farm workers loading a cart with hay. After the hay was cut it would be forked into haycocks in the fields, hopefully drying in the sun and wind. It would be turned regularly to ensure it became fairly dry or 'wun'. The man on top of the cart receives forkfuls of hay lifted up to him by the other men, and it was his job to arrange it so that it lay neatly and didn't unbalance and fall off as the cart travelled back to the farm. Once there loads of hay would be built into hayricks, thatched to ensure that rain didn't soak inside.

1872

This bridge was built in the 1860s to extend Guild Street, over the railway tracks, and link up with the newly built Bridge Street. It was part of the development of the first Aberdeen Joint Station and the Denburn Valley Railway. Correspondent Ed Fowler describes the bridge as follows: A riveted and latticed 2-span steel bowstring bridge with flat-span plate-girder pedestrian footpaths to the North and South sides. It has corniced and panelled, granite terminal piers. The chimney of Hadden's Factory is visible beyond, with Trinity Hall to the left and St Nicholas Church Steeple to the right. A query concerning the exact date of erection for Hadden's chimney is asked in "Aberdeen Journal" Notes and Queries, vol. II, 1909, on page 77 by a "J. M." This is answered on page 383 by "R. A." with the following: "The following appears in 'Aberdeen Journal,' 31st October, 1838:- 'The new Chimney Stalk of Messrs Hadden's Works, in the Green, is now in operation, and completely answers its purpose. It is 202^1/2 feet above the level of the ground; 6 feet in diameter, inside, at the top; contains 126,500 bricks; and is calculated to weigh, altogether, about 850 tons."

1923

Daniel Mearns (1838-12th February 1913) served as Provost of Aberdeen from 1895-1898. He was the youngest son of a shipmaster in Aberdeen, also called Daniel Mearns, and worked as a ship chandler in the firm of Mr P. Buyers at Regent Quay. He entered the city council in 1876 and was also a member of the Harbour Board up until his death. He was involved in many schemes to improve the city such as encouraging the Corporation to purchase tramways and the construction of the larger market. Mearns also served on the Scottish Fishery Board and the Marine Board, was Consul to Argentina and a Governor of Robert Gordon's Technical College. In this photograph we can see Mearns in the centre of the frame, in a top-hat, hosting a garden party.

2321

Among the Local Studies collection of family trees is a chart from 1847 entitled Pedigree of the Cruickshanks of Stracathro. The title initially referred to the Cruickshanks of Langley Park but this has been scored out and replaced with Stracathro. A pedigree is a form of genealogical table. Collections of pedigrees were first made in the 15th century and, according to The Oxford Companion, were "a matter of aristocratic pride and of practical necessity for legal purposes". The term pedigree comes from the French 'pied de grue', meaning crane's foot, due to the resemblance of the genealogical lines to the thin legs and feet of the bird. The pedigree of the Cruickshanks was compiled by E. G. G. Cruickshank, who features in the 10th generation detailed on the table. The pedigree begins with the earliest ancestor at the top of the document with lines dropping down to succeeding generations. Each generation is given a Roman numeral and individuals within each generation are assigned Arabic numbers. The pedigree begins with "John Cruickshank first in Strathspey m. Mary Cumming of Elgin" and extends down to an incomplete 12th generation. The individuals in the 11th generation were mostly born in the 1870s. The information listed on a family tree is dependent on the sources available and the purpose for which it was created. The information given on the Cruickshank's pedigree varies but typically includes an individual's date of birth, marriage details and date of death. Additional information is also supplied as is the case with the 7th generation of Cruickshanks - Margaret Helen is described as the daughter of Rev. Gerard of Aberdeen, author of a book whose title is unreadable, and sister to a Colonel Gerald. Details of army service are supplied for some individuals and many of the Cruickshanks were involved in the administration of India or served in the army there. The tiny handwriting, use of abbreviations and sparse punctuation makes the document challenging to read so familiarity with the subject matter and names of places is useful. A later interpreter of the document has made a number of annotations in pencil. For example, one of the later additions points to an individual and reads "Is this W. Robertson of Auchinroath? Yes!" In addition to a listing of descendants the pedigree is annotated with a number of original notes and a description of a coat of arms. The latin motto of Cavendo tutus translates as 'Safe through caution'. One note, quoting "an old paper", describes from where the family came prior to being in Strathspey. A note on the other side of the chart states that "distinguished Officer and Author the late Colonel Stewart of Garth" links the family to the Royal Family of Stewart and suggests the name of Cruickshank derives from "some deformity in the first cadet of the house." Attached to the document is a letter dated 23 October 1927 from a Jim Bulloch to City Librarian G. M. Fraser. Bulloch explains that he got the pedigree from a Mr. Mackintosh of Elgin, thinks it is quite rare and that the library might like it for its collection. It has stayed in the Local Studies collection to this day. The Gazetteer for Scotland website states that in 1775 Patrick Cruickshank, listed at No. 11 of the 7th generation, bought the estate of Stracathro in Angus. The property was subsequently inherited by his brother Alexander Cruickshank (1764 - 1846). Alexander hired the Aberdeen architect Archibald Simpson to build Stracathro House between 1824 and 1827. The Palladian Scottish country house still exists today. University College London's Legacies of British Slave-ownership website indicates that Patrick and Alexander, and two other Cruickshank brothers, owned plantations on the Caribbean island of St Vincent that used slave labour. See Alexander Cruickshank's entry in the database here: 'Alexander Cruikshank of Stracathro', Legacies of British Slave-ownership database, http://wwwdepts-live.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/8590 [accessed 9th June 2020]. In 1833 when Britain abolished the ownership of slaves the government granted £20 million in compensation to former slave-owners. Alexander Cruickshank made three claims for compensation, two of which were successful. In 1874, Stracathro House and estate were sold to Sir James Bannerman, Lord Provost of Glasgow, and father of Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. The country house was later used as a World War II hospital and owned by Tay Health Board before being sold to private owners in 2003.

2629

A portrait of James Vessie from East Neuk Chronicles by William Skene (1905). The author describes Vessie as a one of the pioneers of cheap literature in Aberdeen, who, for about sixty years, traded as a new and second-hand bookseller. He was born around 1813 in Forres and there he learnt the business of bookbinding and selling. He came to Aberdeen as a young man in the 1830s and set up business in this line. He also had a small circulating library. For many years his business was located in the Gallowgate, then Upperkirkgate, Queen Street, and latterly George Street. He died in February 1895 at the age of 83 in the house of his daughter, Mrs Wilson.

2671

A George Washington Wilson photograph of Aberdeen taken from across the River Dee in Torry. Fishing boats are seen on the south side of the river. The spires of many Aberdeen landmarks are visible in the distance. The building on the far right of the image is the Castlehill Barracks.

2904

A collated group portrait from 1928 of the staff of Andrew McRobb, a then prominent plumbing and electrician business in Aberdeen. McRobb himself is pictured in the middle at the top. The print features a inscription reading "by the employees, as a mark of esteem on the occasion of his acquiring Central Premises 27, 28, 29 Adelphi." The Aberdeen Post Office directory from 1928-29 indicates that McRobb also had a branch at 103 Market Street and his home address was 24 Murray Terrace. In the directory he is described as a plumber, gasfitter, electrical and sanitation engineer. The print includes a small photograph of the new premises in the Adelphi. In 2018 the shown shopfront is occupied by Asylum, a retailer of comics, graphic novels and roleplaying games. McRobb took an active part in Aberdeen civic life and his profession. In May 1935 he was elected as the president of the Scottish Federation of Plumbers' and Domestic Engineers Association (Press & Journal, 11/05/1935, p. 8). He was also later a councillor for the Ferryhill Ward, a Town Council baillie, and elder and Sunday school superintendent at Trinity Church (Evening Express, 13/03/1952, p. 12). The portraits in this print were taken and compiled by prominent Aberdeen photographer Fred W. Hardie. At the time he had premises at 416 Union Street and 8 Justice Mill Lane. This print was kindly donated to Aberdeen Local Studies by David Parkinson. His grandfather, David Charles Kelly Parkinson, can be seen by counting four portraits to the right from the bottom right and then three up. His portrait is just down and left from a symbol showing two tools of the trade.

3401

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Capitol cinema at 431 Union Street in February 1980. At this time the Capitol was in more regular use as a concert venue than as a cinema. This image shows large numbers of people queuing to get tickets for a performance by the band Genesis. The Capitol was built as a cinema back in 1933. A few days before its opening, it was advertised in local papers as "Aberdeen's wonder cinema". Opened to large crowds on Saturday 4th February 1933, the Capitol was then the largest venue of its kind in the north of Scotland and had a stage that could be adapted for both film and variety entertainment. The Capitol was built by Aberdeen Picture Palaces Ltd. on the site of an earlier upmarket cinema called the Electric Theatre that dated from 1910. When the Capitol opened, it was regarded as the most up-to-date theatre in the country due to its complex lightning system, organ music and other modern features, some of them being introduced for the first time in Scotland. The venue could accommodate more than 2,000 people. The building's plans were prepared by Aberdeen architects A. G. R. MacKenzie and Clement George. Local newspapers stressed the local ownership of the cinema and the local craftsmanship that went into its construction. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a souvenir brochure of the cinema's opening. One interesting feature of the brochure is the inclusion of specially created adverts for all the companies involved in the construction and furnishing of the new cinema. Some of the adverts provide rich information on the history of the companies and give an insight into how the companies saw themselves. The brochure details the companies behind every aspect of the buildings from the cinema seating and terrazzo work to the innovative lighting. On the opening day, Mrs A. D. Hay, wife of the chairman of the Aberdeen Picture Palaces, unlocked the main entrance door with a gold key. This key is still held by the Hay family today. The cinema's first, busy evening featured a variety of entertainment. In addition to the showing of films, there was a ballet performance by the Henrietta Fuller Dancers and Mr Edward O' Henry played the theatre's new top of the line Compton organ. During the opening ceremony, Bert Gates, another director of Aberdeen Picture Palaces, said: "It was a long lane that had no turning. They had built the Capitol not for to-day, but for the generations of Aberdeen people to come. The company had dedicated the Capitol to the people of Aberdeen, their children, and their children's children in the hope that in generations to come they might appreciate what had been given them." [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

3403

The Picture House was opened on 14th December 1914 with an inauguration ceremony chaired by Lord Provost James Taggart. It was built at 181 Union Street by the rapidly expanding English firm, Associated Provincial Picture Houses. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) explains that construction of the cinema was delayed due to the war. As seen here in 1937, the cinema's entrance was dominated by two squat white marble finish pillars topped by bronze capitals. The atmosphere inside was said to be cosy and luxurious. After conversion, the pre-existing building on Union Street contained the cinema's large foyer and within this was retained a large, original fireplace to warm visitors. The 900-seater auditorium stood side-on between Union Street and Windmill Brae. With a budget of £12,000, the Picture House was designed by English architects Robert Atkinson and George Alexander. Thomson explains that the architects were inspired along Classical theatre lines and the building featured dark wood walls hung with French tapestries. A large tea-room, called the Tapestry Room, took up the first floor of the Union Street building. Above that, on the top floor, was the manager's office. Thomson suggests that an early strength of the Picture House was its highly competent orchestra, originally led by pianist W. G. Ross. These were pre-radio days, with recording still in its infancy, so the orchestral playing would have been a significant attraction. The profits from the Picture House's first screening back in December 1914 were distributed to Aberdeen charities. The first talking picture to be shown at the cinema was The Singing Fool in 1929. The Picture House was an upscale operation and one of the key early venues for cinema exhibition in Aberdeen. [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]

3430

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Astoria in around 1943. This super-cinema in Kittybrewster was opened in 1934 and was located at the end of Powis Terrace, at the start of Clifton Road and at its junction with Great Northern Road. This photograph looks towards Clifton Road from this location. The film being shown at the time is Air Force with John Garfield. The premises of Birrell, confectioners, and George A. Davidson, provision merchant, can also be seen in the image. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) tells the story of the cinema. The Astoria was primarily the brainchild of Bert Darley who had quit Poole's, proprietors of the Palace and Regent, and started up a new company called the Aberdeen Astoria Cinema Ltd. with various local businessmen and financial backers. The giant cinema, designed by Thomas Scott Sutherland, was intended to serve the growing population of Kittybrewster, Powis, Woodside and Hilton. Construction on the £45,000 building proceeded quickly and it was opened on 8th December 1934 with screenings of a film called I Give My Love. Thomson states that the Astoria's emphasis was on "spaciousness, relying upon simplicity of form to create a pleasing impression of clean-lined functionality." The space of the site allowed Scott Sutherland to enlarge on ideas first used at the Regent. The concept was again a tall central section, incorporating three main windows, with smaller side portions on either side. The Astoria, along with the Capitol, was one of only two Aberdeen cinemas with a theatre organ. Both were equipped with top-of-the-line Compton organs at the time of their opening. In March 1936 James F. Donald (Aberdeen Cinemas) Ltd. acquired a controlling share interest in the Aberdeen Astoria Cinema company. Richard Donald replaced Bert Darley as the manager at the Kittybrewster venue. The programmes of the Astoria and the Kingsway on King Street were regularly linked, both being Donald cinemas. In the 1950s they showed Cinemascope films such as King of the Khyber Rifles and Beneath the Ten Mile Reef. The cinema's last film was The Moving Target, with Paul Newman and Lauren Becall, shown on 13th August 1966. On the 29th of that month the venue reopened as a bingo hall. This was at the height of the game's popularity, however not even it could save the Astoria. At the end of the year the Donalds the site for redevelopment as a shopping complex. Demolition on the cinema was begun in April 1967. Michael Thomson explains that all removable fittings and materials were salvaged. Additionally, the Compton organ was transferred to the school hall of Powis Academy. It served the school well for many years before unfortunately being destroyed in a fire during the night of 20th November 1982. [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

3539

Photograph depicts the construction of some sort of timber pier, railway line and a device running along top of it. photo looking east from Matthew's Quay. Multiple steam trawlers can be seen docked on Point Law in the background. The construction depicted in the photo may be for the purposes of more easily tipping coal onto ships. In the background can be seen the steam trawler A943 Pointer. This ship was built in 1906 by Hall, Russell & Company, Ltd. for Captain William H Burn in Aberdeen and was initially designated as A57. It later came into the ownership of P & J Johnstone in 1938 and was designated as A943. It was later broken up in 1955.

4549

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks north west and shows the eastern, front elevation of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4550

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. As noted in the publication's errata, the caption visible here is missing the word "demolished" after "which was". This photograph looks north east and shows the western, rear elevation of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4551

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks south west and shows the now demolished school building on the far left. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4552

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks south west and shows the site of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The building shown in the background here is then current Udny Green School, which has since also been demolished. A new building, located north east across the Green, opened in 1965. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

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.

202

Hans Christian Andersen wrote 'The Snow Queen' in 1844. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a number of interesting resources relating to the author. Perhaps the most notable is a 1926 reprint of his autobiography 'The True Story of My Life' translated by Mary Howitt and published by George Routledge & Sons. Born in Odense, Denmark in 1805, Andersen wrote three autobiographies during his lifetime. 'The Book of My Life', written in 1832 aged 27, was for close friends, the Collin family, and was not intended for publication. 'The True Story of My Life' in 1846 was to accompany a German edition of his collected works and his final autobiography, 'The Fairy Tale of My Life', was published in 1855. Mary Howitt (1799-1888) was an English author who came to prominence as a translator of Scandinavian literature, in particular eighteen volumes of the Swedish novelist Frederika Bremer (1842-1863) and many translations of Hans Christian Andersen. In the 1926 preface to 'The True Story of My Life' Scottish author and poet, Violet Jacob, claims that Howitt's "precise and innocence English" is the ideal vehicle for conveying Andersen's writing. It was through Howitt's translations that the English speaking world first came to know Andersen's work. Howitt dedicates her translation of 'The True Story of My Life' to the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887). Lind was world famous for her immaculate voice, generosity and strong religious convictions. She and Andersen were good friends. When Lind rejected Andersen as a suitor she became the model for the Snow Queen with a heart of ice. Their friendship endured nonetheless and in 'The True Story of My Life' Andersen explains the central influence Lind had on his work: "Through Jenny Lind I first became sensible of the holiness there is in art; through her I learned that one must forget oneself in the service of the Supreme. No books, no men have had a better or a more ennobling influence on me as the poet, than Jenny Lind, and I therefore have spoken of her so long and so warmly here." The autobiography also contains other glimpses into the inspiration behind 'The Snow Queen'. For example, Andersen's childhood surroundings are said to have inspired the roof top garden on which the story's heroes, Gerda and Kai, first meet and become friends: "Our little room, which was almost filled with the shoemaker's bench, the bed, and my crib, was the abode of my childhood; the walls, however, were covered with pictures, and over the work-bench was a cupboard containing books and songs; the little kitchen was full of shining plates and metal pans, and by means of a ladder it was possible to go out on the roof, where, in the gutters between and the neighbour's house, there stood a great chest filled with soil, my mother's sole garden, and where she grew her vegetables. In my story of the Snow Queen that garden still blooms."

239

This treasure from our collections features 866 drawings illustrating the novels of Charles Dickens. The work of eleven artists is featured - many depicting the poverty, crime and oppression of Victorian Britain. The volume was re-published after the death of Charles Dickens in 1870 and enjoyed great success, with many viewing the illustrations as an accurate depiction of Dickensian characters. The artists who contributed to the publication were well respected in Victorian London and included Charles Green, 'Phiz' (also known as Hablot Knight Browne), and Fred Barnard - best known for his illustrations of Dickensian characters Bill Sikes and Little Nell. This treasure features in our exhibition for July 2016 to coincide with our Celebrating Dickens programme of free events and activities in Aberdeen Central Library. The programme features readings of Dickens' work in English and Doric, a talk on the author's early work and free creative workshops for teens. Speak to a member of staff or pick up a leaflet in the library.