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Other Balmain Pages

James CH Balmain

Photographic Business

USA

James CH Balmain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1853. He died in 1937, aged 84.

Tunny

JCH Balmain was a Vitro Enameller who worked for James G Tunny & Co.  He was living with James G Tunny and his family at 11 Salisbury Place in 1881    [Census:1881]

It was Tunny's address at 11 Salisbury Place that he gave as his own when he joined Edinburgh Photographic Society in 1881-82

Balmain

After working for Tunny for several years, he started his own business as photographer and vitro enameller in 1888.  There, he trained several Edinburgh photographers.  [CJS]

On the back of this 1897-98 photograph, Balmain refers to his earlier work for Tunny & Co.

©    ©

Yerbury

After Balmain's death in 1937, his business continued to be run by his son (what name?) until 1958, before being absorbed into the business of ER Yerbury.

North Berwick

There was also a studio  North Berwick in 1914.  This was run by Kenneth Field Balmain, son of James CH Balmain and brother of George Halyburton Balmain.  It traded under the names James CH Balmain.

 [Blanche and William Laing]

James CH Balmain

Edinburgh Photographic Society

JCH Balmain was an EPS Member.  He exhibited photo-engravings at the 1890 EPS Exhibition.

In 1896, he gave a lecture to the society    - Defects in Dry Plates.

James CH Balmain

Photographs in Collections

James CH Balmain took many photographs of street scenes in central Edinburgh around 1900.  About 70 of these photographs are in the collection of Edinburgh Public Library.

These include photographs of the Elephant Parade on the North Bridge and decorative arches in the streets erected for the visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra in 1903.  Some of these photographs are featured in the book:

"Yerbury - A photographic Collection  - 1853-1990"

Edinburgh Public Library has a photograph of the outside of Balmain's studio, situated in first floor rooms over the shops in Shandwick Place.

1.

James Charles Halyburton Balmain
Photographer with studio in Edinburgh

Background

Photographs

Balmain Family

JCH Balmain  -  recreation

JCH Balmain  -  photography

George Haliburton Balmain

Studio addresses and dates

Cramond *

Maule's Department Store *

North Berwick  seaside *

North Berwick  model yacht

North Bridge elephant parade  

Princes Street  West End  

Princes Street  East End  

St Giles Cathedral *

Portrait  Wood Family 

 * Possibly by Balmain: found in the Yerbury Collection.
   The Balmain business was taken over by Yerbury.

Drawing

Pencil Portrait

2.

Kenneth Field Balmain
Photographer who lived in North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland

Son of James CH Balmain

Photographs of Edinburgh and North Berwick