Log of comments entered in the Guestbook in 2001.

May 2001

Date: 8 May 2001

Comment from Peter Stubbs - The Guest Book begins again!

The Guest Book starts again here on 8 May 2001.

Thanks to those who submitted comments over the past two months, and sorry for having accidentally overwritten them!

I'll try not to lose any future comments. I look forward to hearing your views.

Date: 9 May 2001 Time: 21:58

Enjoyed looking at your photographs, particularly the ones from Canary Wharf. Its a great location for photos of modern architecture, and you found some interesting viewpoints. Keep up the good work.

Phil Preston Digital-Fotofusion Gallery http://www.digital-fotofusion.co.uk

Date: 16 May 2001 Time: 17:45

Great site I have been looking for a reference to William Mercer of Lauriston Place for a number of years. I would be grateful for any information anyone may have on this person. With thanks Doreen

Date: 17 May 2001 Time: 13:47

Hi,

Have found the sight helpful already & it's my first visit. Have been able to date 1 of my photos at around 1900. Someone has cut off the Photographers name I can just see the top of the capital letters. Another photo is from the Debenham Studio, the back has different wording to the examples. This has E. Debenham PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO 79 Princes St (opposite The National Galleries.) EDINBURGH. Handwriting (water damaged) on back of photo suggests it may be the late 1870's.

Great site, have added it to my favourites, will be back soon as I have lots of old photos.

Kind regards Jenny Brisbane, Qld. Australia

Date: 18 May 2001 Time: 01:47

REPLIES from peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

Thanks for the Guest Book comments.

DOREEN: I've added a couple of photos to the William Mercer site, in case they are of interest.

DAVID (who e-mailed me): Your e-mail is not accepting my replies. However, the answer is: - Sunderland Photographic Co: 1891-1900 - A&G Taylor: 36 Fawcett Street 1891-1900, then High St West 1903-14, then Holmeside 1915-16.

Date: 19 May 2001 Time: 04:24

Great! Has someone done any family searches for Ross and Laing gentlemen? How about a link to Glasgow Photographers? Thank you for a great site, Diane Jameson, Researching Ross, Laing, Allan, Edinburgh, Scotland dianeelma@earthlink.net

Date: 31 May 2001 Time: 20:18

Dear Peter

Found your website very interesting and your own photographs marvellous

See you soon

Michael and Linda

June 2001

Date: 12 Jun 2001 Time: 14:21

The outing location is at Craigmillar Castle. The ditch by the photographers is the ancient P shaped pond.

Date: 14 Jun 2001 Time: 01:09

Many thanks to whoever put the comment above in the guest book, identifying the unknown EPS Outing (Photos: Groups & Outings: Page 2) as being to Craigmillar Castle.

Peter Stubbs

Date: 17 Jun 2001 Time: 23:37

Enjoyed looking at your site. I am looking for information : a date of a minute book "Mary Queen of Scots" with Valentine & Sons, Limited as publisher. Has lots of pictures in the book that I have never seen. Thanks, Kimberly natorn@aol.com

Date: 28 Jun 2001 Time: 15:26

You have built a very nice site. I am particularly interested in the PSS member James Henderson and his exhibit of views around Ochtertyre. There are two Ochtertyres in Scotland, one near Crief and one by Doune (Kincardine-in-Mentieth to be more exact). I have many James Henderson's in my family tree (one who had son's named Peter and William, but I can't remember the dates of their lives off hand). I have traced my family back to the Ochtertyre Estate near Doune in the late 1700's. Do you know where I could find more biographical details about this James Henderson, his origin's, or his photo exhibits? Many thanks. Zak Henderson, Toronto, Ontario brother_zak@hotmail.com

August 2001

Date: 15 Aug 2001 Time: 05:14

I am writing in concern of a picture I purchased at a yard sale. The picture is a beautiful portrait of a person the name on the bottom says John Alexander 91'. A.W. Elson & Company Boston Carbon Photographs. If you could please help me find out more information about this portrait please contact me. If not please point me into the right direction. Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Sarah Imbruglia bethi@clearnet.net

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

There was a John White Alexander - I don't know whether this was the same person or not. He was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on 7 Oct 1856 and died in New York, 1915. He was a society portrait painter, painting mainly women, 1887-91. Some of his paintings are included in a catalogue of a Memorial Exhibition in 1941, published by the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh.

September 2001

Date: 15 Sep 2001 Time: 12:42:46

What different jobs where there in the 19th century

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I have added a page with details of some of the jobs in the 19th century. Please click here to see the page.

Date: 16 Sep 2001 Time: 20:39

Woah, my name is Thomas Buist too.

Date: 21 Sep 2001 Time: 01:07

I am always looking for photographs of 19th century painters to go with my collection of their handwritten letters. I found some here and thank you most sincerely. Donald Kurtz Detroit, Michigan

Date: 26 Sep 2001 Time: 06:03

This is great, THANKS!!

October 2001

Date: 6 Oct 2001 Time: 20:46

dear sir most enjoyable looking through your web site as someone who lived there from between the age of 0,18 i found it nice to look throug with my grandkids and show them the places i played as a youngster many thanks from gordon brown 23a saint jamses st,sadly now a shopping centre.

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I'm pleased that you enjoyed looking at the views of Edinburgh. Over the past week, I have been adding more views. Two of them include St James Street and St James Square. Please click below to see:

- St James Street and St James Square from the air.

- St James Street and St James Square from nearer the ground.

Date: 8 Oct 2001 Time: 16:59

I think that this is a great site and would like to tell you that I enjoyed visiting it.

Date: 11 Oct 2001 Time: 09:43

Dear Mr Stubbs

What an interesting and user friendly site you have! You will be interested to know that I am at present researching and cataloguing the "missing" Edinburgh Calotype album in my capacity as consultant and northern agent for Dominic Winter Book Auctions of Swindon, where it is to be sold on 7th November 2001. Yesterday I was in Edinburgh comparing it with the one held in the Edinburgh Room of the City Library. The album we have is titled "Vol I" and appears to have kept somehow in tandem with the one already known. There is considerable cross-over of prints but the newly discovered album has 206 in all and includes over 100 that are not in the Edinburgh Room copy. It also includes several of the Montgomery portraits that were excised form the album before the Library acquired it. This album is still in the (very distressed) original binding and retains the contemporary hand written list with every print identified and attributed. It includes two prints by Dr John Adamson and a number of excellent portraits by Major Playfair of St Andrews.

I do not have your postal address but if you care to send it to me I shall see that you receive some further information.

Jeffery Bates, Suffolk House, 2 Cumberland Road, LEEDS LS6 2EF Tel/Fax 0113 278 3306 e-mail: jefferybates@cs.com

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I was amazed to see that the "missing" Calotype Album had been discovered in the South of England. Very good news. It was, in fact, auctioned on 12 December. The estimated sale price was £20,000 to £30,000. It sold for £190,000. I have added more details to the Edinburgh Calotype Club pages on this site.

Date: 16 Oct 2001 Time: 21:50

enjoyed your forth bridge photos, im working on it at the moment and they do it justice, it doesnt matter how many times im on it , its still mind blowing. trevor . rope access level 3 irata

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I agree, the bridge certainly is impressive! I have a few more photos of the bridge that you might like to see. Please send your e-mail address to me, peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk, if you would like me to send them to you.

Date: 19 Oct 2001 Time: 10:12

VERY VIBRANT

Date: 28 Oct 2001 Time: 15:16

Nice site, I am trying to obtain a photo of Dundee St, my grand mother Henderson's house used to stand where the Brewery is now. John Poustie.

November 2001

Date: 10 Nov 2001 Time: 23:58

Thank you for the information on George Brewster. I am interested in any history regarding Inverlieth Row. Deborah Richards debyrichards@yahoo.co

Date: 14 Nov 2001 Time: 05:55

Enjoyed

Charlie

Date: 14 NOv 2001 Time: 23:24

A fascinating site I found it while searching for info about my name, Lugton. As I am interested in photography and old photos I spent most of the evening looking at this site, enjoyed it very much thanks

Bill Lugton

Date: 21 Nov 2001 Time: 11:16

Dear Sir/Madam, I'm very intersested in Photography; espescially old pictures of views. I will be visiting Edinburgh on the 24th of november and would like to know where I can see the pictures exhibited on your site. I'm espescially interested in pictures of views dating back to the 18-hundreds. I would be very gratefull if you could help me. Thank you in advance, my e-mail is xeonaid@hotmail.com

Date: 26 Nov 2001 Time: 01:35

mlparkinso@shaw.ca

Came across your site while searching for info on my GG Grandfather, William Stewart 1838-1883. He was a professional photographer with a studio in Kirkcudbright and possibly spent some of his career in Fife. Pity he wasn't in Edinburgh - your site has loads of info on it! Thanks, Lorraine Parkinson, British Columbia, Canada

Date: 26 Nov 2001 Time: 02:35

Hello,

I recently purchased a photo album from a auction. All the picture looks like there are from the mid 1900 century, one is A& G Taylor, others are from Bowman Photo, W.K Munro & Paltoni. Would it be possible to obtain further information on the gentleman's card taken by A&G Taylor if I was to send you a copy?

Thanking you in advance,

Lorraine from Canada

Date: 26 Nov 2001 Time: 02:52

Hello,

Thanking you in advance,

Lorraine from Canada

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I think it unlikely that I will be able to do anything other than perhaps narrow down the date the photo might have ben taken. A&G Taylor cards usually have a list of towns on the back. I have a booklet giving the dates that A&G Taylor operated in different towns, so if you would like to send me an image of the back of the card, I may be able to suggest a range of dates.

Bowman and Paltoni were not Edinburgh photographers. WK Munro was an Edinburgh photographer who worked from 4 different addresses. You should be able to match the address on the back of your card with one of the 4 addresses (and dates) on this web site.

Date: 27 Nov 2001 Time: 09:47

david mcdonald. i thought this site woz very interesting.it opened my eyes to photography. thank you all very much.xxxxx

Date: 27 Nov 2001 Time: 23:30

IS there a similar site for photographers in London please?

Thanks

Stephen stephen@bonaventure.co.uk

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I am not aware of any web sites giving listings of London's photographers, but there is a book: "London Photographers 1841-1908" by Michael Pritchard, published by PhotoResearch in 1994 ISBN 0 9523011 0 5.

The Historical Group of The Royal Photographic Society has also produced a several listings of professional photographers in towns and cities around the UK.

December 2001

Date: 5 Dec 2001 Time: 22:29:31

Thank you for the sights of Scotland.

Date: 19 Dec 2001 Time: 01:40

Having grown up in Edinburgh during the 50's and 60's but now living in California, I have been looking for photographic material to remind me of my childhood home. Your site is a wonderful reminder of past days. I know more about my city now than when I lived there and realise how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to grow up in such a historically and artistically-rich environment.

Do you by any chance have any photographs of the ferries at Queensferry? They were a very real part of family holidays back then and I would like my children to know what they were like.

I am very grateful to you for all the dedicated and systematic work you have put into this project. Thank you.

Best regards, Ron Chilcott

Reply from Peter Stubbs:

I have found and added a photo one of the ferries at South Queensferry beside the Forth Rail Bridge. It was taken, probably around the 1950s, before the Forth Road Bridge opened in 1964.

Please click here to see the photo.

Date: 10 Dec 2001 Time: 22:34

Interesting site that I'll keep in mind for another visit. My wife is from Glasgow where she worked for the Scottish Press (wedding photography) in the 40-50s, so I have a personal interest. After 40 years in commercial photography in Toronto, Canada I can say that I have retired to researching photo history as an aid in preparing articles for Photographic Canadiana, official journal for the Photographic Historical Society of Canada.

As well I maintain previous ties with the Professional Photographers of Canada as their archivist. I was interested in your pages on the Inglis family of photographers as we had done an in depth study of James Inglis, born in Scotland in 1835 who had his first photographic studio in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1863. He went on to gain attention in Montreal competing with William Notman. Changed his career to manufacture dry plates and photo paper in Rochester in the 80s. Ended up in Chicago with his son where he was making flash powder in 1904 and was badly injured when a batch blew up. He died months later. Was much lamented for the guidance he gave photographers in their lighting techniques and processes.

My interest causes me to wonder if there was a photographic background in Scotland that led him to his career in Canada and the States. Robert Lansdale editor Photographic Canadiana <boblansdale@idirect.com>

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