The Moffat Family

The following were all professional photographers in the Moffat family:

- Frank Pelham Moffat FRPS (1854-1912) - elder son of John Moffat

- Arthur Elwell Moffat (1860-1943) - younger son of John Moffat

- Pelham Swinton Moffat (1895-1976) - eldest of 3 sons of Frank P Moffat

- Edward Moffat (.... - 1980s) - last surviving son of Frank P Moffat

[JM]

Moffat and Yerbury

A couple of years before the Moffat business was taken over by Yerbury in 1962, the Evening Dispatch in Edinburgh printed an article about the two companies, saying:

"Moffat 's celebrated their centenary a few ears ago with a fascinating exhibition of photographs; Yerbury's celebrate theirs soon."

The grandsons

... 'You can't get subtlety or delicacy with colour film', says Mr Edward Moffat ... ... The process used by the studio to obtain colour is to print on a special paper with a warm sepia base and then have an artist hand-colour the portrait in water-colours. The delicacy and tone are excellent.

... Portrait photography has changed considerably since the days of the Collodion process. Mr David Yerbury summed up in these words: 'It is much lighter, not so serious. Modern portrait photography has been influenced by film stills and television. People want to show a bright personality.' "

Questions

Was John Moffat related to any other Edinburgh photographers named Moffat? I have found a Charles Moffat, JP Moffat and Albert B Moffat

1. The only record I have found of Charles Moffat is his appearance in the Edinburgh Trade Directory as a photographer based at 51 Princes Street in 1873. However, Peter Thomson, Grandson of Charles Moffat has written to me telling me that he remembers being shown a glass nameplate in St Andrew Street, with the names Moffat & Anderson, Photographers.

2. There was a JP Moffat who contributed to discussions on studio photography at an EPS Meeting in 1881. [BJP: 1881, p.71] Was he related to other members of the Moffat family?

3. How was he related to Albert B Moffat who took these two photos of a session in the EPS studio, possibly during the 1950s?