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Growth and Decline of PSS

The Photographic Society of Scotland was very active and influential for its first five years from 1856.  For the next five years, following the creation of Edinburgh Photographic Society in 1861, the activities of PSS were scaled down.  From the late-1860s until it was finally wound up in 1873, PSS was almost dormant.

When PSS was established it was anticipated that Membership might reach 20 or 30 within a year.  In fact, at the end of the first year, there were 119 Members.

Members continued to join steadily over the next few years.  Most remained Members for several years.  The total number of Members to join PSS throughout the whole period from 1856 to 1873 was only about 250.  Some of the members are listed below.

Titled Members

Titled members included:

-  Earl of Dalhousie (Forfarshire)

-  Lord Jerviswoode (Edinburgh)

-  Lord Kinnaird (Rossie Priory and London)

-  Lady Macdonald (Skye)

-  Lady Matheson (Stornoway)

-  Lord Panmure (Forfarshire)

Professional Members

Members included:

- University Professors from Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews,

- Sheriffs of Dumfriesshire, Linlithgow, Ross-shire and Stirlingshire

- architects, accountants, lawyers 

- eleven doctors, including the eminent surgeons and photographers George Skene Keith and Thomas Keith.

Other Occupations

Perhaps the annual subscription and the cost of photographic material were too high to attract members from other trades.  The only PSS Member I have found from manual or other occupations is Peter Dow, Station Master of Linlithgow.

Artists

The following artists were PSS Members:

-  Hippolyte Jean Blanc RSA

-  James Drummond RSA

-  George Harvey RSA

-  David Octavius Hill RSA

-  James Eckford Lauder RSA

-  Robert Scott Lauder RSA

-  Kenneth Macleay RSA

-  George Simson RSA

-  Colin Smith RSA.

Photographers

Some of Britain’s most renowned photographers, both amateur and professional, were PSS Members:

-  David Octavius Hill (Edinburgh)

-  John Moffat (Edinburgh)

-  Thomas Keith (Edinburgh)

-  Thomas Rodger (St Andrews)

-  George Washington Wilson (Aberdeen)

-  A Claudet (London)

-  Julia Margaret Cameron (Isle of Wight)