Princes Street Photographers

Around 1860

Photographers' Studios

Princes Street was the main street in the Edinburgh’s New Town, with buildings on the North side and an open outlook towards Edinburgh Castle to the South.  This was the location chosen by many of Edinburgh’s early professional photographers.  The central part of Princes Street, the block of buildings between the Sir Walter Scott Monument and the Royal Scottish Academy was particularly popular.

See the listing of photographers by address.  This shows just how extensively some Princes Street addresses, such as No 75, were used over many years.

The premises on the corner of Hanover Street and Princes Street, were home to a succession of photographers for sixty years from 1864.  This site was directly opposite the entrance to the Royal Scottish Academy in Princes Street.  Its address was 1 Hanover Street.

Photographic Exhibitions

The Photographic Society of Scotland's first Exhibition opened in Edinburgh in December 1856.  The Exhibition was widely reported in the Press.  The Daily Express wrote:

"In  Edinburgh the professional photographers are counted by dozens; and the art which, a few years ago was left in the hands of dabblers, destitute alike of skills and taste, now numbers amongst its professors first-rate artists - men capable of understanding and turning to account all its varied and astonishing resource."
[Daily Express:  3 January 1857]

Moffat, Tunny and Messrs Ross & Thomson were all praised for their entries in this exhibition.

Cartes de Visite

Many professional photographers from the 1850s onwards produced cartes-de-visite – small photographs the size of this one, mounted on thin card.  Most were portraits, sold by the dozen to the sitter.  However some photographers produced cartes de visite of other subjects.

George Washington Wilson of Aberdeen travelled throughout Scotland, taking landscapes.  He photographed from this site in Princes Street in 1859.  He returned to take more photos in 1860, and again in 1863-64.

This photograph was taken around 1859, and issued originally as stereo pair.  Later the left hand side was cropped off, and the photograph was issued in a smaller format as the carte de visite shown here.

Carte de Visite - Princes Street - Photographer: GW Wilson

Princes Street, Looking East - c.1860

by George Washington Wilson

More Photos

For further photographs of princes Street, please select:

- Princes Street Photographs

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