Goldenacre

The corner of Ferry Road and Inverleith Row

Enlarge this photo

Around 1903-06

    ©

Enlarge this photo

2011

    ©

Goldenacre

Old Photos

Thank you to Chris Douglas, Manager of The Orchard Bar, formerly Northern Bar, Canonmills, Edinburgh, for allowing me to reproduce this photo and other old photos of Edinburgh.  Chris recently found these photos in the basement of The Orchard Bar.

I have not yet discovered the date of this photo, but checking in the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directories as to when John B Low, Grocers and Wine Merchants had a shop on this corner may well help to date the photo.

The Shelter

I wondered what the circular structure in the road was.  Thank you to Robin Sherman, President of Lothian Postcard Club, for providing the answer.

Robin tells me that it was a shelter that provided seating and toilets for tramway staff.  Goldenacre was at the northern end of Edinburgh's first cable car tram line that opened in 1888.

This shelter may have survived for about thirty or forty years.  It is shown on large scale Ordnance Survey maps of 1908, 1912, and 1931.  It is not shown on the 1896 or 1945 OS maps.

In his book, Edinburgh Transport - The Early Years, DLG Hunter refers to what may have been a similar structure at Morningside on the south side of the city.  He describes it as 'Carmen's Shelter'.

Date of the Photo?

Investigation

Post Office Directories

I've now looked in the Post Office Directories in an attempt to discover approximately when this photo was taken:

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I found that Montagu Terrace first appeared in the directories in 1879 (with only No. 14 listed then).  This is the same year as is carved in stone, high on the corner of the building in the photograph above.

Shops in the Photo

The shops that can be seen in the photo above are:

When did these shops appear in the trade directories?

See the table below.

Post Office Directories

Year

No. 1

No. 2

No. 3

Conclusions

1903 to 1906

1.  The shops at Ns 1, 2 and 3 Montague Terrace that can be seen in the photograph above (Wilson, Wood and a butcher) can be found in the trade directories for all years from 1885 to 1913, so the photo above was probably taken during this period.

2.  The cable car tram line did not open until 1888, so we can narrow down the period to '1888 to 1913'.

3.  The name above the door of the grocer and wine merchant in the photo above is John B Low (NOT '& Son') so the photo above was probably taken between about 1888 and 1906.

4.   A chemist's shop appears in the photo, so the photo was probably taken between 1903 and 1906.  (See Replies 1 and 2 below.)

Reply

1.

John Hadden

Edinburgh

Thank you to John Hadden who replied:

Chemist

"Another potential factor in your investigation might be that there looks to be a mortar and pestle hanging above the shop at No 6a.

However, maybe there has always been a pharmacy at that address ;) "

John Hadden, Edinburgh:  May 25, 2011

Reply

2.

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Chemist

I've checked the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directories, looking for a chemist at 6a Montagu Place.

These directories are now available on line from the National LIbrary of Scotland web site, for years up to 1911.

The first year that I found anybody listed at No 6a was 1903.  It was John Alexander White, Chemist and Druggist.  He remained at that address  until at least 1911.

So, it seems likely that this photo of the shops at Montagu Terrace, Goldenacre, would have been taken in 1903 or later - probably between 1903 and 1906.

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See 'Conclusions' above.

A Hundred Years

I don't know for how long beyond 1911 Alexander White remained at 6a Montague Terrace.   However, there appears to have been a chemist at 6a Montague Terrace for most or all of the past hundred years.

I've checked a few of the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directories and found the following entries:

-  1911:  Alexander White, Chemist & Druggist

-  1930:  R B Graham, Chemist

-  1940:  John Liddell, Chemist

-  1950:  John Liddell, Chemist

-  1961:  John Liddell, Chemist

-  1970:  John Liddell, Chemist

-  2011:  Vantage Pharmacy

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:  May 26, 2011

Goldenacre

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