|
Ross
& Thomson
Studios
|
|
James Ross entered
into partnership first with John Thomson from 1848 until
1864, and possibly over a longer period. Their studio addresses
are given below.
In 1848, John Thomson took over the
daguerreotype business of
Thomas Davidson #
Lecture to EPS on
early photography in Edinburgh by the Edinburgh Librarian, C S Minto.
|
|
From June 1849, Ross & Thomson were awarded the Royal Warrant “Photographers to the Queen”
.
[NLSR]
The last three of these
addresses did have been taken from the back of cartes de visite.
As there was no entry for Ross & Thomson at any of these three addresses
in the Edinburgh trade directories, I cannot say when the partnership
worked from these addresses.
Calton Hill,
however, is likely to have been towards the beginning of their
partnership.
|
1848-64
|
90 Princes Street
|
|
1856-58
|
80 Princes Street
|
|
?
|
_ Calton Hill
|
|
?
|
10 Greenside Street
|
|
?
|
_ Lothian Road
|
|
Ross
& Thomson
Photographs |
|
In 1850 the press
reported that Ross & Thomson had exhibited "the first British albumen photograph taken by a modified method
of their own"., at the British Association meeting in Aberdeen.
|
Ross
& Thomson
Paris
Exhibition - 1855
|
|
Award to
Ross & Thomson
Ross & Thomson received
Honourable Mentions in the 1855 Paris Exhibition for their daguerreotype
entry.
John Hannavy reports
that Ross & Thomson were:
- the only
Scottish photographers to exhibit.
- one of only
3 British photographers to exhibit daguerreotypes, the others being
Claudet and another London photographer. of only three British photograph
Source: Exhibition Catalogue -
British Section - Acknowledgement to John Hannavy and Roger
Taylor |
|
Other Awards
at the
Paris Exhibition
British photographers
receiving awards in the 1855 Paris Exhibition were:
|
Grand Medal of Honour: |
H F
Talbot |
|
Silver
Medals |
J A F Claudet,
R Fenton,
J D
Llewellyn,
Maxwell Lyte,
Count de Montizon,
Robertson,
Shelock,
C Thompson,
H White. |
|
Bronze
Medals |
P H
Delamotte,
H W
Diamond,
W T
Kingsley,
Lamb,
O G
Rejlander,
B B
Turner,
F
Townshend,
H R Williams |
|
Honourable Mentions |
J E
Myall,
W J
Newton,
Reade,
Ross &
Thomson,
West,
Wilks. |
Source: Journal of the Photographic
Society; 21 Dec 1855, page 217, |
Ross
& Thomson
Edinburgh Exhibitions
|
|
1st
PSS Exhibition, Dec 1856
Ross
& Thomson exhibited
44 photographs including:
-
22 Daguerreotypes
- 7
stereoscopic views
Speaking of one of their entries,
the Press
enthused:
“He
has a poor taste indeed who will not at once admit its immense
superiority, even as a picture over every other in the room, and
especially over the coloured abominations we have been noticing.
It is above any of Claudet’s hanging beside it in vigour and
relief; and even in tone it is superior.”
[DE:6/1/1857]
|
|
2nd
Art Manufactures Exhibition, Dec 1857
Ross
& Thomson exhibited ...
[I have to check exactly what they exhibited.]
|
|
5th
PSS Exhibition, Feb 1861
John
Ross
exhibited two portraits in the 5th PSS Exhibition in 1861.
|
|
1890
EPS
Exhibition
John
Ross
exhibited platinotype photographs of interiors in the 1890 EPS Exhibition.
|
|
[Source: 1856
and 1890 = Exhibition Catalogues. Other years = contemporary
Scottish newspapers] |
Ross
& Thomson
Other British Exhibitions
|
|
London -
Great Exhibition - 1851
Frames of
Tablotype pictures and negatives on albumenised glass.
|
|
London
Society of Arts - 1852
17 photos on albumenised glass, most being views in and around
Edinburgh. |
|
Aberdeen
Mechanics' Institution - 1853
- 49 calotypes, including many landscapes
- 4 Daguerreotype portraits
- 1 Stereoscopic view of draught players |
|
Society of
Arts 1st Tour - 1853-54
- 1 landscape (Melrose Abbey) |
|
Dundee Royal
Infirmary Fund - 1854
- 2 albumenised landscapes (Edinburgh)) |
|
London
Society of Arts - 1854
- 3 albumen on glass (Scottish landscapes)
- 3 collodion (Scottish landscapes)
- 1 collodion (portrait) |
|
Society of
Arts 2nd Tour - 1854
- 1 albumised glass (Melrose Abbey) |
|
Society of
Arts 3rd Tour - 1855-56
1st set: 1 albumised glass
(Melrose Abbey)
2nd set: 1 albumised glass (Melrose
Abbey) |
|
London
Society of Arts - 1858
- 37 collodion (mostly Scottish landscapes)
- 1 collodion (portrait) |
|
British
Association, Aberdeen - 1859
- 39 collodion (mostly plants and leaves) |
|
Glasgow -
1859
- 35 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
|
London -
1859
- 4 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
|
London -
1860
- 4 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
|
London
International Exhibition - 1862
- cartes de visite
- 2 portraits |
|
London -
1863
- 1 collodion |
|
London -
1864
- 4 collodion |
|
[Source:
Photographs exhibited in Britain 1839-1855
(Roger Taylor)] |
Ross
& Thomson
Photographs
in Collections
|
|
Early
photographs by Ross & Thomson are held by The Scottish National
Portrait Gallery, The Royal Commission of Ancient & Historic Monuments
in Scotland, and in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.
|
|