Professional Photographer and ExhibitorAndrew Swan WatsonFRPS |
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Early Photography Andrew Swan Watson, photographer and portrait painter, served his apprenticeship with Marshall Wane and gained a reputation for his cloud pictures and transparencies. Some of these, showing clouds over the sea, are in the National Portrait Gallery collection. Titles include: - “Silently the shades of evening fall” - “The last faint beam is fading - "On yonder dark blue deep” At the time of his apprenticeship, William Crooke was Operator in the studio. |
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Exhibitions In common with Marshall Wane, Andrew Swan Watson entered his photographs in exhibitions. He won awards from Crystal Palace, Dundee, Edinburgh, London, Ireland and Vienna. In 1890 EPS exhibition, he exhibited: - silver print "Evening Studies" - silver print "In the Soft Evening when the Wind is Stilled" - several platinotype landscapes - one carbon transparency On 1 October 1926, Swan Watson, then President of the Edinburgh Professional Photographers' Society, was congratulated for having won the Professional Photographers' Association Gold Medal for his portrait of Lord Sands at the Society's All British Professional Exhibition [BJP 1926, p159] He was also a respected judge of photographic exhibitions. |
StudioA Swan Watson then started his own business, having acquired Viewpark Art Studios at Bruntsfield from the late George Shaw. From these studios he produced work in silver, carbon and platinotype. 'View Park Art Studios' had eighteen apartments on a single floor. “There was a reception room in the form of a gallery forty feet long by twenty-four feet wide, from which led a wide passage, ninety feet long with twelve windows, each fitted with transparencies of cloud pictures, landscapes, seascapes and portraits. A second studio in the premises was used for group pictures and for all kinds of exterior effects. When visited in 1892, a third studio was fitted with a boat and sail, water and imitation rocks. The grounds were used for equestrian and other photographs.” [BJP1892: p613] Andrew Swan Watson was based at this studio for about 40 years. The business continued, after his death, until 1958. |
FRPS
Andrew Swan Watson was awarded his FRPS in 1925 or 1926.
At the time he was President of the
Edinburgh
Society of Professional Photographers. The Society congratulated him
on his 'FRPS' at their Meeting on 1 February 1926. Andrew Swan Watson also became an Honorary Life Member of the Photographers' Association of America. |
Other InterestsAndrew Swan Watson was an organist and choirmaster in Morningside Congregational Church. He travelled extensively in France and Italy, and gave many lectures on Venice, the Vatican and the picture galleries of Europe. [EPS: Obituary by AH Baird] |
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Comment 1. Alistair R Brownlie Braid, Edinburgh |
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I referred briefly in 'Other Interests' above to Andrew Swan Watson's involvement wit Morningside Congregational Church. Here, Alistair Brownlie provides more details. Alistair wrote: |
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Morningside Congregational Church "Morningside Congregational Church began in 1887 as a small building (since demolished) on a site north of 'Holy Corner' - the junction of Morningside Road, Colinton Road and Chamberlain Road. The church was rebuilt in 1927 (opposite Christ Church) creating the building that is now occupied by Morningside United Church." Photograph Album "The fifth minister of the original church, from 1901 until 1911, was W Morton Barnwell. On his departure to become minister of Grafton Square Church, London, he was presented with a large album containing about 90 photographs of individual church members and groups of members. The church still has what appears to be a copy of the original presentation volume that was given to W Morton Barnwell. The album itself is in quite poor condition, although the photos contained in it are mostly quite well preserved" Andrew Swan Watson "I believe that most of the studio portraits were prepared by Andrew Swan Watson, the photographer who died in 1930. He was a member of the church and acted as their organist and choirmaster for several years. Further Research "The people in the album held by the church are mainly identified by pencilled names. If there were better records anywhere identifying the sitters' addresses, this information could enhance the items that we hold and might justify some sort of compilation which would give a good social picture of a congregation at Holy Corner between 1900 and 1911." Alistair R Brownlie, Braid, Edinburgh: November 23, 2012 |
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Andrew Swan Watson |
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Professional Photographer and Exhibitor Death + Obituary + Tribute |
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Cabinet Prints |
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Theatrical Photo What Show? |
Interior Photo Where is it? |
