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Ethnographic Postcards in Scotland

Early History

From 1870s

Postcard Use

Messages on Postcards

Postcard Portraits

Postcard Publishers

George Stewart

Valentine & Sons

Others

Views of Scotland

Wells and Fountains

The Scottish Highlands

Edinburgh

Scottish
Life and Character

Raphael Tuck

Other talks: Ethnographic Photography in Scotland

Other talks: History of Photography

Edinburgh University, School of Literature, Language and Cultures, Celtic and Scottish Studies

2nd Year Lecture: February 23, 2010 - Ethnographic Postcards

Ethnographic Postcards - Page 4

Ethnographic Postcards in Scotland

Views of Scotland

1. Wells and Fountains

2. The Scottish Highlands

3. Edinburgh

Wells and Fountains

Jamie Wright's Well - Campsie Glen

Inscription on the Well

"Hail to your dimplin' wimplin drop

Clear, caller, caul'

That bids the drouthy traveller stop

And tak 'his fill'

Hail to your heart-reviving tipple

Enticing slee wi twinklin' ripple,

Thou crystal milk frae Nature's nipple

Wee Mountain Well!

Born of the whirlin' wintry flake

Of Arctic shower

When charging storms the welkin rake

And scrudge the bower,

You joukit frae the furious blast

And seepin' doon the mountain past

Till here my craig you weet at last

Sine ower the stour"

JAMES M SLIMMON

ERECTED BY FRIENDS OF THE POET

Longformacus - The Village Well

The figures add interest

Culloden Moor - Well of the Dead

Here, the Chief of the MacGillivrays fell

Lochgoilhead - Moses' Well, Hell's Glen

The name is evocative. Hand-tinted photo. The stagecoach adds interest

Dunkeld - The Athol Memorial Fountain

Raphael Tuck - "Oilette Series"

This fountain was erected in 1866 in memory of the 6th Duke of Athol

Figures have been added, not necessarily to scale.

The caption on the back of this card is aimed at tourists. It comments on the district, not necessarily on what appears on the front of the card. The text reads:

"The Fountain: Dunkeld is situated on the northern bank of the Tay, here crossed by a handsome bridge of five arches, which affords communication with the neighbouring village of Birnam.

Both Dunkeld and Birnam are healthy and charmingly situated, and are popular with tourists owing to the many objects of historical and pictorial interest in the vicinity."

_________________________________

The Scottish Highlands

Mountains

A River in the Highlands

Raphael Tuck - "Oilette Series"

Perhaps Raphael Tuck thought they would sell
more postcards if they did not name the river

Glencoe, The Three Sisters

Raphael Tuck - "Oilette Series"

Have the heights of these mountains been exaggerated?

The text on this postcard quotes from Dorothy Wordsworth's journal of 1803, about a century before this card was published.

" 'The Three Sisters', Glencoe:

The impression was as if the glen were nothing: its loneliness and retirement. The mountains were all in all.

Exceedingly lofty, rugged in surface, the whole mountain a mass of stone, wrinkled and puckered up together. No trees in the glen - only pasturage for the cattle; but the mountains."

In The Highlands

This is a British Postcard titled 'In the Highlands', implying presumably 'The Scottish Highlands'

The mountains and buildings look to me to be more like the Alps than the Scottish Highlands.

Highland Dress

Highland Foot-Post

This is a card in McIan's Highland Series

The location is not identified

Shetland Peat Carriers

This card is one in Raphael Tuck's 'Oilette' series

"Bonnie Scotland" - Life in Shetland

The location is not identified

In The Highlands

Valentine & Sons "Scottish Songs Series"

Reel o' Tulloch

Valentine & Sons - 'Artotype Series'

The heather looks too bright to be true. How many of these men would have
been dancing in the heather if there had been no camera around?

None of the cards that I have of highland dancers, pipers or highlanders in highland dress has any explanatory text on the back, and none gives any location. The pictures are presumably intended to 'speak for themselves'.

The Sword Dance - Ghillie Callum

Valentine & Sons - 'Artotype Series'

Like the postcard above from the same series, the colours
in this one appear to be rather too vivid to be true.

The Sword Dance

Valentine & Sons - 'Pipers and Dancers Series'

For Scotland and Charlie

A postcard from the local photographer
J R Russell, Edinburgh 'Speedwell Series'

Highland Chief

Costume of the XVII Century

The clan and location are not identified

Published by J R Russell, Edinburgh' - Card with undivided back

A Highland Chieftain

The clan and location are not identified

WR&S 'Reliable Series - Card with divided back

Published in WR&S 'Reliable Series - Card with divided back

Highland Washing

A Highland Washing

A Court Card published by Valentine - c.1897-98

The location is not identified

A Highland Washing

A Valentine 'Artotype' Postcard. - Posted 1909

The location is not identified

A Scottish Washing

A Raphael Tuck 'Oilette' postcard - posted 1907

The location is not identified

Scotch Washing in the Highlands

A 'National Series' postcard - not posted

The location is not identified

_________________________________

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

Raphael Tuck - "Scottish Castles Series"

Edinburgh Castle is immediately recognisable, but the foreground looks
very rural for West Princes Street Gardens in the centre of Edinburgh.

Are there, perhaps, more and larger trees and shrubs than would have been in
Princes Street Gardens in the early 1900s when this card was published.

Edinburgh Canongate

Raphael Tuck - "Oilette Series"

This is one of a series of postcards by Raphael Tuck in a series titled 'Old Edinburgh'

The artist is J Kinnear. This series also includes views of old Edinburgh closes by Kinnear.

Edinburgh

Newhaven

New Lane

Here are two photos, not identical but taken on the same occasion.
The same two ladies are in the foreground. The children in the background have moved.
Different colours have been added to the sky, doors and clothing.

New Lane

Here is the same street on a different occasion.

Fishwives

Four Generations

Fishermen

Baiting lines and chopping driftwood for fire wood

Edinburgh

Portobello

Portobello Pier - 1

Hand-tinting in pastel shades has created a delicate atmosphere.

Portobello Pier - 2

Here, bolder colours have been applied, and the sea and sky look different.
But this is based on the same photo as above. The figures are in the same positions.

Portobello Pier - 3

People appear to have been added to this photo.

The waves are probably exaggerated.

Portobello Pier - 4

This is the same photo as above, but the pier has been taken away

Portobello Pier was built 1871, demolished 1917.

Edinburgh Skies

Calton Hill

This photo, and the next few photos all have the same or very similar skies,
even though some were taken looking east and others looking to the west
and other directions. This view below looks to the NE towards Calton Hill.

This card was posted in 1913

Scott Monument

This view looks to the west along Princes Street towards the Scott Monument.
If any further proof is needed that the sky is not genuine, look at the shadows.
They face almost to the north, even though the sun is in the west!

North British Hotel

This view looks to the east along Princes Street towards the North British Hotel.
The monuments on Calton Hill can be seen in the background.

Edinburgh Castle from The Grassmarket

Here, we look to the NW, across the Grassmarket
and up towards Edinburgh Castle

St Giles Church

This view looks to the west down the High Street towards St Giles Church.
The Tron Kirk on the corner of South Bridge is in the background.

This card was posted in 1922

Princes Street and Calton Hill from Edinburgh Castle

Here we look ENE down from Edinburgh Castle towards the National Galleries,
the Scott Monument and North British Hotel in Princes Street.

This card was posted in 1960

Distorted Images

The Forth Bridge

Seen through a drunken haze

Waverley Steps on a Windy Day

Valentine Postcard - Posted 1936

_________________________________

End of Page 4

Ethnographic Postcards in Scotland

Early History

From 1870s

Postcard Use

Messages on Postcards

Postcard Portraits

Postcard Publishers

George Stewart

Valentine & Sons

Others

Views of Scotland

Wells and Fountains

The Scottish Highlands

Edinburgh

Scottish
Life and Character

Raphael Tuck

Other talks: Ethnographic Photography in Scotland

Other talks: History of Photography

__________________

Links to a few pages on EdinPhoto web site

Home Page + Search

Latest Updates

Index: More Pages

Edinburgh Views

Edinburgh Maps

Leith

Recollections

Clubs + Discos

Transport

Photographers

Early Photography

Edin Photog Soc

Monopoly Board

email me

Other Web Sites