|
|
1891 Census |
|
19 Henderson Row |
|
| Head |
Peter Low |
age 49 |
Portrait Painter |
| Wife |
Georgina Low |
age 41? |
Seamstress +
Teacher of Music |
| Son |
Peter C Low |
age 17 |
Camera Maker |
| Son |
Philip E Low |
age 15 |
Clerk, Coal
Office |
|
|
Peter C Low
Note the occupation of Peter C Low at the age
of 17.
Was this the man who was living at 54 Cockburn
Street under the name Claude Low at the time of the 1901 census, and who
went on to have several photographic
studios between 1896 and 1910?
|
|
1901 Census |
|
Address? |
|
| Head |
Philip
E Low |
age 44* |
Photographer |
| Wife |
M...
Low |
age
26 |
- |
|
Daughter |
Evelyn Low |
age
3 |
- |
|
Father |
Peter Low |
age
64** |
Photographer (retired) |
|
Step-mother |
Emma
Low |
age
?* |
Teacher of Painting |
* Philip E Low's
age of 44(above) looks suspect. Age 25 would seem more
likely.
** Peter Low's age of
64 (above) looks suspect. Age 59 would seem more likely.
|
|
1901 Census |
|
54 Cockburn
Street |
|
| Head |
Claude Low |
age 27 |
Photographer |
| Wife |
Mary
Low |
age
28 |
- |
|
Daughter |
Violet |
age
4 |
- |
|
Daughter |
Olive |
age
2 |
Photographer (retired) |
|
Family
Tree
|
|
William
Low was a portrait painter who married Ann Peak.
Their
son was Peter Low (b. Dublin
1842). He married Georgina Hill in Duns, Berwickshire in
1871. They had two sons:
-
Peter Claude Low (b. Edinburgh, 29 Jan 1874).
Presumably he
was known as Claude Low
He married Mary Thomson Masson
(1895).
-
Philip Ernest Low (b.
Edinburgh, 7 April 1876).
He married Margaret Margaret Chisholm (1897).
It
is possible that Thomas Low was
the brother of Peter Low b.1842.
Both were in business as photographers at 130 Princes Street in 1872.
What
were the names of Messrs Low?
Were they Thomas and Peter, who shared premises at 130 Princes Street
in 1872?
Between 1878 and 1880, Messrs Low were based at 130 Princes Street, then
79 Princes Street. They did not appear in the Edinburgh trade
directories again until 1894.
[Stuart
Laing] |
The
Move to
London
|
|
The
Low family moved to London around 1880.
In
the 1881 census:
-
Peter Low, portrait painter
- Georgina Low, wife
- Peter Claude Low, scholar
- Philip Ernest Low, scholar
were
all boarders with a coal merchant at St Pancras, London.
[Stuart
Laing] |
The
Return to
Edinburgh
for
a while
|
|
By
1891, Peter, Georgina and and Philip Ernest Low were back in
Edinburgh.
Between
1894 and 1896 Messrs Low appeared again as photographers in the
Edinburgh Trade Directories. Shortly afterwards, Claude Low,
then Philip Ernest Low were back in business as photographers in
Edinburgh - both until 1910.
[Stuart
Laing]
|
|
Studio
- sold to
James Mason
|
|
In the 1920s, Claude Low and some of his family
emigrated to South Africa. James Mason bought the Aberdour
studio, which operated only in the summer months, from Claude Low.
[Helen
Robertson]
The
period from 1910 is not accounted for in the Trade Directories, though
in practice this leaves a gap of only about 4 years before the
outbreak of the First World War. Alternatively, perhaps the emigration
was earlier than the 1920s.
James
Mason was was apprenticed to Claude Low after leaving school, around
1907-12, before opening his own studio in Portobello.
James
Mason continued to run his Edinburgh studio and the Aberdour summer
studio until 1933, when he closed both and moved to Dundee, opening a
studio at 29 Panmure Street which he ran until his death, at the age
of 57, in 1947.
[Helen
Robertson]
The
information above ha been provided by the daughter of James Mason, but
I have not been able to trace any Edinburgh studios in the name of
James Mason in either the Portobello or Edinburgh trade directories. |
Question
|
|
I have several cartes de visite by Wood & Co, whose advert on the back
describes the company as Wood & Co, successors to Messrs Low, 72 Princes
Street.
Were Messrs Low ever at 72 Princes
Street? I can find no reference to them at this address in the
trade directories.
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|