Postcard by W R & S - Edinburgh from the Salisbury Crags

St Andrews

The Harbour

Location

St Andrews lies on the east coast of Fife, about 30 miles directly NE of Edinburgh, but further away by road or rail as the journey involves crossing The Forth by one of the Forth Bridges to the west of Edinburgh.

St Andrews has the third oldest University in the UK. It is the home of golf and played an important role in the pioneering days of photography in Scotland.

The Postcard

This postcard was published by Cynicus in Tayport, Fife. This card has not been sent through the post, but would have been published between 1902 and 1911.

Below is a calotype by Hill & Adamson, 1843-47, showing the same buildings as appear in the background on the postcard.

The Painting

This picture is based on a watercolour painting by J Douglas RSW. This name appears at the bottom-right of the picture.

This artist was, in fact, James Douglas of Dundee (1858-1911) who studied in Edinburgh. Several of his paintings have also been reproduced as Cynicus postcards.

From 1895 to 1897 James Douglas lived and worked in Rothenburg, Germany, and from 1904 to 1908 he exhibited at the Tayport Art Circle in Dundee.

He was elected RSW in 1900 but seems to have been struck off in 1907 as a result of mental illness which led to his confinement. He exhibited some 76 works at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh between 1881 and 1907, and many of his works in other exhibitions.

There are five works by him the collection of the Edinburgh City Art Centre

Most of the details above about J Douglas have been provided by the National Gallery of Scotland