Robert Dykes

1.  Studio to Let

2.  EPS Member

3.  Question - How many 'Robert Dykes'?

 

1.

Studio to Let

Leith Walk Railway Station

The following adverts appeared in 'The Scotsman' newspaper in 1886:

Heritable Property To Let

STUDIO at Leith Walk Railway Station.

Apply Robert Dykes at the Station.

'The Scotsman:  February 11, 1886, p.2

 

Heritable Property To Let

PHOTO STUDO (sic) to let at Leith Walk
Railway Station, with immediate entry

Apply Robert Dykes at the Station.

'The Scotsman:  March 27, 1886, p.10

F Bomont

I have only ever seen one other reference to this studio.  It appeared as an address on the back of one of one of F Bomont's photographs.  There was not date on this photo, but F Bomont was listed in the trade directories as having studios at 75 Princes Street, Edinburgh and 41 Bernard Street, Leith, both in 1889.

Robert Dykes

I don't know whether Robert Dykes, in 1886, was the owner of this studio or the photographer who had been using it, or just acting as an agent for the letting.  I have found no reference to either Robert Dykes or a studio at Leith Walk Railway station in any of the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directories.

However, there was a photographer named Robert Dykes who was a member of Edinburgh Photographic Society in the early 1900s  -  possibly the same man?

  

2.

EPS Member

Lecture

Robert Dykes gave a lecture to Edinburgh Photographic Society (EPS) on May 1, 1907 entitled Night Photography.  One of the many topics that he discussed was 'Railway Stations by Night'!

Survey

Robert Dykes took some photos of Old Edinburgh for the EPS Survey Group.

RCAHMS (The Royal Commission on Ancient& Historic Monuments in Scotland) lists the following item in their archive:

Archive No. PA30

PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM NO. 30:  OLD EDINBURGH

"Album of professional prints, dark red cloth with tan leather spine and edges embossed with pattern and gilt.

Insc: (spine) 'Old Edinburgh 1903 - 4 Dykes', 136 Photographs.  Old Edinburgh.

A Photographic survey of old buildings in and around Edinburgh carried out during the years 1903, 1904 and 1905.

The survey includes places such as Stirling, Dunfermline, Musselburgh, etc. intimately associated with the history of Edinburgh by Robert Dykes, Edinburgh.

Newspaper clippings (inside front cover) December 1904 about the Photographic Society Exhibition from the Evening News.

Album of Prints by the photographer Dyes of Old Edinburgh and the areas listed in the inscription."

Database Search Result from RCAHMS web site

 

3.

Question

- How many 'Robert Dykes'?

Ed McKenna wrote:

"I  wonder if you could satisfy my curiosity about Robert Dykes.

I came across his name during my research into the Edinburgh railway coal trade 1839-1948. He was a coal merchant at Leith Walk station who had the misfortune to be declared bankrupt in 1893 although he seems to have recovered from that set-back.

In the 1901 census he was living in Comiston Road and was described as coal merchant. His name appears in an advertisement in the Scotsman 27/3/1886 as having a photographic studio to let at Leith Walk Station.

I also note that in the early years of the 20th century one Robert Dykes was a leading light in the Edinburgh Photographic Society.

Is this the same man by any chance? If so do you know if any of his photographs have survived?"

Ed McKenna, August 26, 2007

If you can help to determine whether or not the following were all the same person, please e-mail me:

-  the coal merchant at Leith Walk station

-  the person letting the photo studio at Leith Walk station

-  the photographer, EPS lecturer and EPS Survey Group member.

 Thank you.  -  Peter Stubbs;  August 28, 2007

Click here to select Other Photographers

 

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