James Good Tunny - Exhibitions

James Good Tunny

Early Exhibitions

From 1854

James Good Tunny's work began to appear in exhibitions soon after he opened his studio around 1852.

Royal Infirmary Fund, Dundee - 1854

William Miller exhibited work by Tunny:

- Portraits (collodion)

- Portrait of Professor Miller (calotype).

So far as I am aware, the second picture above is the only calotype by Tunny to have appeared in exhibition. All others were collodion, some coloured.

Photographic Society, London - 1854

Tunny exhibited 19 collodion prints. Most were portraits of well known Scottish personalities.

British Association, Glasgow

Tunny exhibited 27 collodion prints. Some were portraits, including portraits of David Octavius Hill, the late Lord Cockburn and Hugh Miller. Others were Edinburgh scenes.

Photographic Society, London - 1855

Tunny exhibited 19 collodion prints.

- Some were views of Edinburgh, including a panoramic view.

- Others were portraits, including a portrait of David Octavius Hill.

21.

James Good Tunny

PSS Exhibitions

1856 to 1864

James Good Tunny exhibited photographs in most of the annual exhibitions staged by the Photographic Society of Scotland - a society that was established in 1856.

1st PSS Exhibition, Dec 1856

Tunny exhibited 42 photographs, mostly portraits, some coloured, some views of Edinburgh, and a set of 7 from a day out titled:

- “A Day’s Shooting”

- “Milk Maids”

- “Shadow on the Water”

- “Thorn on the Foot”

- “Wood Girls”

- “Bird’s Nest”

- “Game Bag

2nd PSS Exhibition, Dec 1857

Tunny exhibited portraits. The press reported:

"The best coloured photographs exhibited are those from the studio of Mr Tunny - Portrait of Mr McGlashan being the best among the good…. shows that Mr Tunny has produced the best imitations of high class miniatures hitherto produced in Scotland and compared to which the best of Claudet’s specimens are simply daubs"
[Evening News: 26 December 1857]

4th PSS Exhibition, Dec 1859

An entry was sent to this exhibition by Messrs Tunny (rather than Mr Tunny). Was there another Tunny involved in the business?

The entry consisted of 9 portraits and 1 group titled: “Female Students”

The Press wrote:

"Nine interesting groups by JG Tunny who may almost be pronounced the father of photography in Edinburgh and whose portraits of eminent men and beautiful landscape scenery fill the portfolios of most of our artists.

Mr Tunny has the true eye of an artist and his photographs have in consequence been always highly valued, not only by the general public but also by members of the artistic profession."
[Evening News: 24 December 1859]

5th PSS Exhibition, Feb 1861

Tunny exhibited 4 frames of portraits:

"Our townsman, J Tunny, has benefited by his change of abode to the lighter region of the New Town. He sends an excellent frame of portraits inter quos we would call attention to the living and speaking head of Mr Duncan McLaren."
[The Scotsman: 2 February 1861]

6th PSS Exhibition, Dec 1861

Tunny exhibited photographs coloured by Miss Taylor.

"His group photograph ... a well composed picture of Mr & Mrs Clark and family. His cartes de visite are above average quality"
[The Scotsman: 1/1/1862]

7th PSS Exhibition, Mar 1863

The 7th PSS Exhibition was a Competing Exhibition, rather than a General Exhibition.

Most of the entrants were the more prominent photographers in Britain. The only entrant from Edinburgh was JG Tunny. Referring to one of his entries, the Press wrote:

"A group of ten figures , which is remarkable for the naturalness of pose and the sharp skilful manipulation throughout". [British Journal of Photography: [1 April 1863]

9th PSS Exhibition, Dec 1864

1 portrait and 6 were groups, titled:

- “Free Church Training College”

- “James Gowan Esq. & Family”

- “Scholars, Merchiston Academy”

- “Football Club”

- “The Merchiston Eleven”

3rd and 8th PSS Exhibitions

Thank you to Julian Bukits for for the following observation.

Julian writes:

"You'll notice Tunny's absence from exhibiting in 1858 and 1862. This coincides with the deaths of 1st and 2nd wives in August 1857 and September 1861 respectively."

James Good Tunny