The Hutcheson Family

Colinton, Edinburgh

The Hutcheson family were based in Colinton, South of Edinburgh, now within the Edinburgh boundary.

In 1922:  Alexander Hutcheson was Stationer and Newsagent 
William J Hutcheson  [his son?] was Photographer.

1925-58: Alexander Hutcheson & Son were: Stationers, Photographers, etc.

1959-66: Alexander Hutcheson & Son were: Stationers Photographic Dealers, etc.

Alex J Hutcheson

However, Alexander Hutcheson appears to have been producing photographs many years before he first appeared in the Edinburgh trade directories in 1922.

Below is one of several post cards views of Colinton that he produced.  This card by A Hutcheson was published by JR Russell, Edinburgh and has a post mark dated 1905.

Post Card

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

View of Water of Leith near Colinton

Alex Hutchison

Question

1

Cockburn Street

There was a photographer, Alexander Hutchison, bases at 29 Cockburn Street .  He produced portraits on his cartes de visite.  He advertised on the back of them:

"Tombs, Monuments &c.  photographed"

Was this the same man as Alexander Hutcheson of Colinton?

Here are two of his cartes de visite.

I have not found any mention of of this photographer in the trade directories, so do not know when his studio at 29 Cockburn Street operated.

Perhaps somebody with a good knowledge of 19th century fashions will e-mail me and suggest a date for these photos.

©      ©

  ©    ©

 All the images above are reproduced with acknowledgement to the Scottish Genealogy Society

Alex Hutchison

Reply to

Question

1

Another Carte de Visite

I've not been able to trace any reference to an Alex Hutcheson in any of the 19th century trade directories, so don't know the dates of the cartes de visite above.

However, I'd like to thank Michael Melrose for sending me images of the front and back of one of his cartes de visite by Alex Hutchison.

-  The front is a studio of a lady standing beside what appears to be the same chair as appears on the two cartes de visite above

-  The back is simpler than above.  It just gives Alex Hutchison's name and address in four lines of print without any artwork.  However his address is the same as above and the same message appears along the bottom of the card:

'Tombs, Monuments &c. photographed'.

There is also a hand-written message on the back, which reads:

'Got this Carte de visite, Oct 1875'.

This suggests to me that the two cartes de visite above may date from around mid- to late-1870s.

Michael Melrose, Greenbank, Edinburgh:  March 2, 2011

Alex Hutchison

Question

2

Alex Hutchison

Question

3

West Maitland Street

Was Alex J Hutcheson of Colinton related to the earlier Edinburgh photographer, RC Hutcheson who had a studio at 4 West Maitland Street, close to the West End of Princes Street, in 1891?

Alex Hutchison

Questions

4

Thank you to Dr Mairghread JH Ellis who wrote about her great grandfather, Alexander Hutchison.

Was he the same man as any of the other Alex Hutchisons already mentioned on this page?

Mairghread wrote:

Waverley Photo Exhibition

"My great grandfather, Alexander Hutchison, won the Waverley Photo exhibition medal for a photograph entitled the 'Turn of the Burn (Glenfarg)'.

My understanding is that he was an early member of EPS (Edinburgh Photographic Society).   He lived in Nelson Street and then in Dublin Street and had a cabinet making and joinery business in Dublin Meuse on a site that has recently been redeveloped into modern flats by Lorn McLean.

Could this be the Alex Hutchison mentioned in the EPS early history?

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery hold some pictures of inhabitants of St Kilda attributed to him.  These were on show at an exhibition there in 1993.

 In 1996 my mother had an article about him published in 'Studies in Photography' titled:

'Grandfather Hutchison: a Victorian Photographer'."

Dr Mairghread JH Ellis, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

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