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Schooners at Granton Middle Pier |
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© Reproduced with acknowledgement to George Haggarty, National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh
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Granton Middle Pier |
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Questions Here are two sailing boats at berthed at Middle Pier, Granton Harbour. If you can tell me anything about these boats, or suggest when this photo might have been taken, please email me. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: May 12, 2011 |
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Reply 1. John Stevenson Trinity, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to John Stevenson for emailing me. John wrote: |
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Cargo Carrying Schooners "What a great photograph! These are both two-masted cargo carrying schooners. The vessel in the foreground is much older than the other given her 'bluff 'bow and the sail/mast configuration. She is discharging pit props for use in the local coal mines. You can see them stacked on the quay. These, along with deals, rough cut and building timber, were regularly imported through Granton from the Baltic ports, from the early 1850s onwards. The vessel in the foreground is much older than the other, given her bluff bow and sale/mast configuration." |
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The Crane "The crane on the quay appears to have a funnel which would suggest it was steam powered . Steam cranes began to be used in docks from around the early-1860s but were not very reliable, and were dangerous and therefore unpopular! One of the first to receive favourable reports was a small crane placed at Alloa dock in 1867." |
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Date of the Photo "My guess is that the vessel in the foreground may have been built around the 1850s, and the vessel behind may have been built around the 1890s. I believe the photo may have been taken around the 1890s." |
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John D Stevenson, Trinity, Edinburgh: May 16, 2011 |
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Reply 2. John Stevenson Trinity, Edinburgh |
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I spoke to John Stevenson soon after receiving his email above. John added: |
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Slipway "There was a slipway close to where this photo was taken from. It is on the west side of Middle Pier, very close to West Harbour Road." |
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The Buildings "The buildings seen on Middle Pier in this photo are mentioned on this RCAHMS' Canmore web site page that gives archaeological notes for Granton Harbour. This Canmore page includes the following comments."
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Date of the Photo "The comments above are consistent with the photo having been taken around the 1890s, as John Stevenson suggested yesterday" |
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John D Stevenson, Trinity, Edinburgh: May 17, 2011 |
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