Quick Search
|
Search Results
You searched for: More Like: 'Political Profile'
70 items
items as
Beach Bathing Station
99 The interior of the Beach Bathing Station, where generations of Aberdonians learnt to swim in the fresh water pool. The Bathing Station was designed by City Architect, John Rust, and opened on 13th July 1898. A distinctive red brick chimney dominated the beach skyline. The Bathing Station was eventually filled in and demolished, the door having finally closed to the public on 11th July 1972. Baillie Rust
2063 A photographic portrait of Baillie John Rust (1853-1919). He was the son of John Rust and Margaret Henderson. His father founded the well-known timber merchants John Rust & Son in 1845.
John Rust junior was an architect and local politician. He served his architectural apprenticeship with John Russell McKenzie before going into business for himself with offices on Union Street, latterly number 224.
Rust was highly active in local life. He was elected to the Council in 1886 representing the Rubislaw Ward. He was re-elected in 1889 and promoted to the position of Third Ballie in 1890.
On the death of the incumbent, William Smith, Rust was a successful applicant for the post of city architect. On his appointment in March 1892 he retired his place on the Council. He served as city architect until his death in 1919.
Along with Sir Alexander Lyon and John Morgan, the builder, Rust was considered a moving spirit in the local government regime known as the "Young Party".
His Aberdeen Journal obituary highlights his involvement in the Beach Bathing Station scheme and the Union Terrace improvements. Also that he was a justice of the peace for Aberdeen City and Kincardineshire.
Moreover he was a significant property owner and was involved in local political, civic, military and church groups.
He died suddenly while on his way to work from his residence of Hawkshill, Milltimber. He was buried in Nellfield Cemetery. His Aberdeen Journal obituary can be found in the issue for 12th September 1919, page 6.
An entry for John Rust can be found in the Dictionary of Scottish Architects here Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Hilda Wernham
2334 A photograph of Hilda Wernham, founder of Aberdeen's Night Shelter for the Homeless, taken from an Evening Express profile of 21st August 1974. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Catherine Hollingworth
2336 A photograph of Catherine Hollingworth taken from an Evening Express profile published 24th May 1968 to mark the occasion of her retirement after 27 years as Director of Aberdeen's Speech and Drama Department. Aberdeen Theatres: Aberdeen Arts Centre
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. Aberdeen Theatres: Walford Bodie
3392 A profile photographic portrait of Aberdeen born magician and entertainer, Walford Bodie (1869-1939).
In the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, at the height of music hall variety, Dr Walford Bodie M.D. was one of the most famous and highly paid entertainers in Britain.
He remains an enigmatic and charismatic figure in the history of the North East. Born Samuel Murphy Bodie at 33 George Street on 11th June 1869, he was the son of a journeyman baker called William Bodie and his wife Margaret and received his education at Robert Gordon's College.
He went on to become a leading showman, hypnotist, ventriloquist, controversial 'bloodless surgeon' and was billed variously as The Electric Wizard, The Modern Miracle Worker of the North, and The Most Remarkable Man on the Earth.
The medical profession questioned his qualifications and right to the title of doctor. He would respond that his qualifications were from the United States, a country at the forefront of medical science, though he once conceded that the M.D. following his name in fact stood for "Merry Devil".
This photograph comes from a family photograph album, originally owned by Annie "Nan" Henry, held by Aberdeen City Libraries. Pennan
4232 A photograph looking east towards Black Hill and Pennan Head, or Red Head of Pennan, in Buchan. A house called Havenlea can be seen on the hillside.
The village of Pennan and shoreline can be seen in the foreground. Clothes are drying on washing lines and the pier of the harbour is visible in the distance.
Aberdeenshire Council's Conservation Area Profile for the village (June 2022) states that Pennan was once a flourishing fishing village during the 18th and 19th centuries. Changes in the industry and to demand meant that commercial fishing progressively left Pennan following the First World War.
The Pennan Harbour Trust state that the last commercial fishing vessel, the May Lily, left the village after the death of its owner in 2016.
The photograph comes from a collection of slides from the 1970s and 80s donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department. Queen's Cross in 1911
4271 A photograph showing the procession organised in Aberdeen to celebrate the coronation of George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953). The image shows the procession passing north up St. Swithin Street and across Queen's Cross. A number of trams and horse drawn gigs are shown outside the lines of spectators.
This photo is taken from the Aberdeen Bon-Accord and Northern Pictorial coronation souvenir number published on 12th May 1937, page 55. This special issue celebrated the crowning of George V's son, George VI (1895-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002).
This photograph illustrates an article by journalist William Diack (1871-1942), part of a series looking at the changes in Aberdeen between the coronations of George V and VI. Diack's article is titled 'Scotland has witnessed Coming of New Age and the Triumph of Youth' and discusses the changing political scene in the city during the period.
The caption for this photograph reads as follows:
"This was the Aberdeen procession on June 22, 1911, the day of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. The procession is just reaching Queen's Cross by way of St. Swithin Street, the photograph having been taken from the belfry of Rubislaw Parish Church. Note how the fashions have changed. Horses predominated then, this time motor vehicles will be in the majority. And women's fashions! Well, there's just no comparison possible." The Last Speech, Confession and Dying Declaration of Three Unfortunate Men
171 Originally broadsides were single sheets of paper printed on one side. They were mainly text, intended to be read unfolded, posted in public places. They were first used for the printing of royal proclamations and official notices but later they served as a vehicle for political agitation and popular culture such as ballads, songs and scaffold speeches.
They were sold on the streets and cost a halfpenny or penny. The mechanisation of the printing industry at the beginning of the 19th Century saw a phenomenal increase in the amount of street literature, including broadsides. By the middle of the century, however, cheap newspapers, weekly magazines and "penny dreadfuls" started to take over.
This broadside tells of the day of execution for three Aberdeen men for the crime of theft and stouthrief (which is the associated crime of assaulting a person defending their property). The sheet details the repentant manner of the offenders and their admonishment to the gathered spectators to "take warning and beware of braking the Sabbath, bade company, and disregard of parental instruction, &c."
This is followed by a resigned letter from William Buchanan's parents that, in the context of the severity of the punishment, evokes the austere moral and religious character of Aberdeen at the time.
A variety of other broadsides are available to view on the Silver City Vault, including one detailing the life and execution of William Allen for the crimes of murder and robbery. Treasure 55: Punch
230 The first edition of the satirical magazine Punch was published on 17 July 1841. The title being derived from a conversation between the founders who claimed that - just as the alcoholic drink of the same name - the magazine would be nothing without Lemon (Punch's first editor was named Mark Lemon).
Despite a difficult start of low circulation figures, the success of the magazine was ensured with the decision to publish an annual edition, or Almanack. Copies of these soared and shortly after the magazine was taken over by the printing firm of Bradbury and Evans whereupon it entered its golden age.
Modern satirical magazines - such as Private Eye or the French publication Charlie Hebdo - often purposefully push the boundaries of good taste in order to land a searing political blow of maximum impact. In the Victorian age, Punch attempted to capture the mood of the public in tasteful, yet no-less provocative terms.
Punch frequently used illustrations to highlight contemporary problems in a stark visual manner. So much so in fact, that it can claim to have changed the English language in the process. The original definition of the word cartoon meant simply a preliminary drawing for a work of art - similar to "sketch" - with no additional meaning. However, the word took on the additional connotation of being applied to humour with the publication of Punch's 'Cartoon No.1 - Substance and Shadow'.
The enduring popularity of the magazine is in many ways, inextricably linked to its own downfall. With changing appetites for publications and satire, Punch desperately needed to keep re-inventing itself, but seen by many as a national institution, change was far from easy. Eventually the magazine succumbed to the pressure of low circulation and finally ceased publication in 2002, leaving behind 160 years of humour and wit.
Punch's lasting legacy is a snapshot of opinion on some key historic events from the preceding decades - notably including coronations, scandals, wars, budgets, coalitions and many other subjects high on the political agenda. Treasure 64: Ho Sho Maru Logbook (1869)
240 The Ho Sho Maru was the first iron-clad warship in Japan. It was built in 1868 by Aberdeen shipyard Alexander Hall & Co. The gunboat was a barque rigged steamer equipped with two 110-pound and two 60-pound guns on deck. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a number of logbooks from Aberdeen-built ships, including the log book detailing the maiden voyage of the Ho Sho Maru from Aberdeen to Japan.
The vessel was ordered by the Choshu clan and brokered by Fraserburgh born trader and industrialist Thomas Blake Glover. The Choshu were one of the two main actors, with the Satsuma clan, in the rebellion against the Tokugawa Shogunate. The rebellion led to the Meiji Restoration and enormous changes in the political and social structure of Japan. James Morison
282 A silhouette profile of James Morison, notorious pill manufacturer. Born 3rd March 1770 at Bognie, Aberdeenshire, he died 3rd May 1840 at his home in Paris. He called himself "The Hygeist". Treasure 104: Suffragette Newsletters
325 We celebrate International Women's Day in March and it is a chance to remember the monumental struggle of the women who fought for suffrage or the right to vote.
A featured treasure this month is the Handbook of the Conference of the National Union of Women Workers which was held in Aberdeen on the 13th, 14th and 15th of October 1908. Women began to demand the vote around the middle of the nineteenth century and suffragist groups sprang up all over Great Britain. In 1897 Millicent Fawcett founded the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies - this organisation campaigned peacefully for the right to vote for women. Also In our collection we hold a copy of a newsletter named Jus Suffragii Alumnae from Jan 1909. It was the magazine of the Queen Margaret College Suffrage Society (Glasgow) and the society was a member of the Scottish University's Women's Suffrage Union.
Queen Margaret College was a women only establishment and became part of Glasgow University in 1892. Also featured this month, The Suffragette magazine was the organ of the Aberdeen University Woman Suffrage Association and this particular issue was published in 1908. The front cover features an eye-catching design which is typical of the kind of symbolism used by suffragettes to promote their cause. The colours we associate with the Woman's Social and Political Union - one of the major suffragette groups - are green, purple and white and they appeared on badges, jewellery and banners. Purple stood for freedom and dignity; green for hope and white for purity.
Want to learn about a shocking incident involving a famous suffragette at Aberdeen Railway Station? - Check out our interactive exhibition on the touchscreen! Treasure 112: Political cartoons
333 This month we have chosen to exhibit a selection of the political cartoons held by Aberdeen City Libraries in light of the current political backdrop of our impending local elections and the recent invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union.
Flourishing in the middle of the 19th century, cartoons attracted the upper classes with their subversive meanings, and also illiterate people with their blatant caricature. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a set of various political cartoons. Those exhibited highlight how they were used as a way of denigrating politicians. Looking at a political cartoon can determine the cartoonist's opinion on a specific issue or event. Satirical drawings usually focus on contemporary political events, which can be taking place on a national scale or on a small scale.
Understanding a cartoon or a caricature relies on some knowledge of its context. Unfortunately, our loose sheets of cartoons were not kept with any additional documentation. As a result, it is not always easy to associate the cartoons with a specific event. Looking for information by using other resources, such as historical newspapers for example, can provide interesting leads. By the middle of the nineteenth century, more and more newspapers included political cartoons to express opinion on the politics of the day. In Great Britain, these satirical prints further developed through cartoonist's magazines, including the periodical Punch, exhibited as a library treasure in May 2016.
To see more examples of political cartoons, have a look at the Treasures from our Collections digital exhibition on the touch screens The Suffragette
423 The Suffragette magazine was the organ of the Aberdeen University Woman Suffrage Association and this particular issue was from 28th October 1908. The front cover features an eye-catching design which is typical of the kind of symbolism used by suffragettes to promote their cause. It is difficult to say exactly what this design represents but it is reminiscent of a flower or rosette and the sun all of which were suffragette symbols.
The colours used are also significant. The colours we associate with the Woman's Social and Political Union, which was one of the major suffragette groups, are green, purple and white and they appeared on badges, jewellery and banners. Purple stood for freedom and dignity; green for hope and white for purity. The colours in this design vary slightly from this but are also likely to be meaningful.
The content of the newsletter is also interesting. It is dominated by the possibility of Henry Herbert Asquith, the Prime Minister at the time, becoming the Aberdeen University rector. Satirical articles and poems mock Asquith and the Liberal Party. As far as the suffragettes were concerned he was an unpopular candidate due to his opposition to women gaining the vote.
"We Did It!" Witnesses' Glee
490 This broadside pokes fun at a Parliamentary decision made over Aberdeen's railways. Parodying William Shakespeare's Macbeth, it presents a scene taking place in the lobby of the House of Commons following a recent "Railway Case".
The broadside is undated and the personae dramatis are identified only as "J", "B" and "O". The lack of detail makes it difficult to establish the exact case to which this relates. If you can clarify this matter, please get in touch using the comment button located below the image.
The broadside concludes with an echo from "the Electors of Aberdeen." This suggests a connection to electoral politics, but details beyond this are unclear. Brief Scene From A Drama
491 This satirical broadside presents the first act of a drama probably realised by a private citizen to denounce a current political issue. The first character of the drama, called "Ed.", sees no solution other than death to escape disgrace. He has not been able to prevent the "vile Duncan" from obtaining the favour of the people, despite Ed.'s numerous efforts. A High Civic Dignitary (whose name is "P--t") and his Clique, represented as rather naïve, try to ascertain whether Ed. is effectively deceased.
Unfortunately, since this document lacks a date or proper names, it is hard to understand exactly what matter it is addressing. The words "Links", "Duncan", "petition", "train" suggest that the broadside may refer to a rivalry between two competing railway companies' directors which occurred in 1856. Mr. Duncan (John Duncan), mentioned twice by the first character, had appealed to the public to obtain permission to build his railway line on the Links. He was denounced by his opponent for not having followed the legitimate procedure of lodging a Parliament Plan. More details on the question can be found in a broadside from our collection titled "Taking Lawless Possession", available here. "To be, or not to be?"
494 This broadside dates to 23rd March 1857. Professing to be written by a 'townsman', it ridicules a 'Clique'. The broadside criticises the clique as a group of gentry attempting to engineer Aberdeen's politics. The broadside satirises the events leading up to British general election in late March 1857. The election was fought by William Henry Sykes and John Farley Leith. Both were members of the Whig party.
The broadside notes that Aberdeen's newspaper the Herald criticises a so-called 'clique'. Indeed, an article published in the Aberdeen Herald on 21st March titled 'The Adverse Cries' criticises a clique for spreading falsehoods in their attempts to prevent Leith from getting elected.
The broadside notes that an unidentified individual from Brucklay upset the clique's politicking. This likely refers to William Dingwall Fordyce (1836-1875). In response, the clique arranged for another unidentified individual, this time from Elmhill, to engage the help of Sykes. 'Elmhill' likely refers to an individual belonging to Elmhill House. Elmhill House became a psychiatric hospital in 1862.
The broadside criticises the Herald for supporting Leith, whom the broadside calls 'a Muff'. It also lambasts them for fake Protestant piety regarding the claim that Leith would repeal the Maynooth Grant (a cash grant from the British to a Catholic seminary in Ireland). The broadside instead calls for Sykes to win the election. Sykes won that election by 186 votes, and stood unopposed at the following three elections until his death on 16th June 1872. More Maritime Disasters at Westminster
496 This broadside purports to comes from a newspaper called Northern Ensign. It provides detail of an accident on water in 1856. It appears to be an elaboration satirical allegory comparing the Great North of Scotland Railway Company's attempts to pass a bill in parliament to a disaster at sea.
The "Great North", a large, three-decker steamer is commanded by Captain John Duncan. This is presumably John Duncan, an Aberdeen Advocate, who served as chairman of the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. between 1867 and 1871.
Of one incident, the broadside reports "The Great North" capsized when a storm broke out. The vessel had been preparing to take off, with all sails open. Captain Elphinstone's crew all attempted to scramble to safety. Many of the crew were seriously injured. Though the storm only lasted a few minutes, some £15,000 in damage was done. The broadside reports that their correspondent tried to investigate the issue, but the crew refused to give much information.
The broadside does list some injuries, such as: "Andrew Boyd, lost his snuff-box and his memory". John Webster was thrown overboard and was rescued by another vessel, whom The Great North crew had been ridiculing before the storm. A further amazing description follows: "Ferguson (not the poet or the astronomer, but a bigger man than before) got severely crushed between a floating spar and the funnel." "John Anderson (not 'my Joe,') preserved his equanimity during the whole trying scene, and coolly went down below for his portmanteau."
A report into the accident found that the crew were incompetent, "not one could box the compass." The lackadaisical attitude of the crew towards safety, they found, contributed to the scale of the accident. The Queen & Liberty!
498 This broadside from 1837 is an excerpt of a letter from Lord Durham to electors in North Durham. It was printed at The Aberdeen Herald by G. Cornwall. The broadside declares that the electors must become involved in the Liberal parties, regardless of class, for the sake of the British Empire. On the subject of Victoria becoming Queen, it rallies the electorate to support the incumbent Liberal government to support the Queen.
The reprint of a message from the radical reformist English earl to his electorate indicates the political disposition of the printers. Great care and craftsmanship had gone into printing the lines at the top of the broadside. These facts indicate that the electorate was considered to be in need of propaganda in order to convince them to continue supporting the Liberal government. At the time in Aberdeen, Alex Bannerman was the Member of Parliament for Aberdeen. He sat in the commons as a radical and would have been sympathetic to Durham's views. Mr. Ross of Rossie
499 This broadside, dating to around 1832, regards Horatio Ross. Ross was the Member of Parliament for the historic British parliamentary constituency called Montrose Burghs.
The broadside regards debate over the reform bill, which promised to provide greater voting rights for men across the country. The broadside defends him from what it asserts are false charges of political misconduct. The broadside reprints correspondence as it feels that this will clear Ross's name. It states that the charges began with a Joseph Hume, who has since regretted his words, but that these assertions have been revived. The broadside asserts that the slanderers want to deceive the Constituency of Aberdeen.
Ross declares that he is not attached to any particular party. He says that he supports Lord John Russel's reform bill but does not want something less than ideal passed. Ross indicates that he is not unhappy with a Tory Government.
In another letter, Joseph Hume expresses his dismay at the perceived support that Ross had of the Duke of Wellington, which he saw as contrary to the cause of the Liberal Government. Hume tells Ross that he has written to the Provost of Arbroath saying that Ross had given Wellington his support. Ross rebukes Hume for this, saying that he never actively supported Wellington, and had evidence of it in a letter already sent to the Provost of Montrose. Eventually, Hume admits his mistake for claiming that Ross supported Wellington in several letters.
This broadside was printed by J. Davidson & Co. of Aberdeen. Grand reform meeting held at Aberdeen, 18th May 1832
530 A colourised lithographed sketch of the Grand Reform Meeting that took place on Broad Hill, Aberdeen on Friday 18th May 1832.
Popular and parliamentary support for electoral reform had been growing across the United Kingdom in this period. At the time, only a small number of wealthy landowners had the right to vote, the franchise was geographically inconsistent, and the representation by members of parliament was out-dated.
This Aberdeen meeting, like many that took place around the country at the time, was organised following the House of Lords blocking the Third Reform Bill of Prime Minister Charles Grey (1764-1845), 2nd Earl Grey, and the subsequent resignation of Grey and his Whig ministers.
Newspaper accounts of the meeting indicate that attendees had just learnt that the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), a Tory opponent to reform, had been unable to form a government following the resignation of the Whigs and an invitation from King William IV, and that the monarch had recalled Earl Grey.
Organised by prominent local supporters of electoral reform, the Reform Committee, the meeting agreed seven resolutions for presentation to parliament including the following: consternation at the bill not being passed, support of Earl Grey and colleagues, agreement to withholding national supplies (funding) from the government until the bill is passed, and that Joseph Hume (1777-1855), then MP for Middlesex, present the petition instead of the member for the Aberdeen boroughs, Horatio Ross (1801-1886), who was accused of backsliding on reform.
The report in the following day's Aberdeen Chronicle newspaper suggest the meeting was attended by 30,000 to 40,000 people. The Tory-leaning Aberdeen Journal, in its issue of Wednesday 23rd May 1832, page 2, gives an estimate of 15,000 to 20,000.
Contingents of various trades began to muster at Union Street West at about 1.30pm. A large procession proceeded east along the street and were joined by the Reform Committee from the Royal Hotel, 63 Union Street, located just after the junction with Market Street.
The full procession, with the Committee at its head and joined by deputations from the country, travelled to the Links via Castle Street, King Street, Frederick Street and Constitution Street. Several bands accompanied the procession and there were a large number of banners with reform slogans.
On the motion of Reverend William Jack (1768-1854), principal of King's College, Sir Michael Bruce of Stenhouse and Scotstown (1798-1862) was called to chair the meeting. John Angus (1799-1878), an advocate and later Town Clerk of Aberdeen, was the secretary.
Speakers included General Andrew Leith Hay of Rannes (1785-1862), Alexander Bannerman (1788-1864), Sir John Forbes of Craigievar (1785-1846), Alexander Blackie, banker, Thomas Burnett, younger of Leys (1778-1849), John M. Gerrard of Midstrath, Alexander Kilgore, surgeon, James Forbes of Echt, Alexander Stronach of Drumallan, James Nicol, advocate, William Allardyce, wine merchant, Harry Leith Lumsden of Auchindour, William Moir of Park and Alexander Forbes of Ainslie.
Both the account in the Aberdeen Chronicle and the speeches on the day remark on the disruptive potential of the crowd, under circumstances of reform not being progressed. Though the speakers urged those in attendance to continue in a peaceful manner.
Some speakers compared the fight for electoral reform to that for religious freedom in Scotland. There is explicit and repeated support given for William VI, but the Duke of Wellington is considered an inappropriate progressor of reform. The return of Earl Grey is promoted.
Faced with the prospect of William VI ennobling new Whig members of the House of Lords, Tory opponents of the Third Reform Bill abstained from votes and it passed through the upper house. The Representation of the People Act 1832 was given royal assent on 7th June 1832, and its Scottish equivalent around the same time, and came into law.
The Act was a substantial reform of Britain's antiquated electoral system, redistributing seats and changing the conditions of the franchise, but still left most people without the vote. Subsequent popular and parliamentary politics would led to further legislation and the fuller suffrage of modern times.
Document dimensions: 26 x 40 cm. |