Glasgow Studio Photos about c. 1900

[Alan SHARP]

I'd like to share with you, eight c.1900 studio photos that have survived in New Zealand, in my Gt Aunt’s album, but may not have survived in the environs of Glasgow whence they came. Unfortunately we have lost contact with the families involved, and can not rely on the notations, that have been made to the photos, these last 100 years or so.

Technical advice about the photos, with regard to their age, the studios named, and what info can be gleaned from them, would be appreciated. I assume others would also be interested.

Family history clues from the photo notations include:-

Page 1.
A more recent photo taken at the Pukekohe East (NZ) Reunion in 1963 and is included to show my Gt Aunt, Mary Helen JOHNSTON nee SHARP (b. 1878) and my Grand Father James T. SHARP (b. 1875) Plus photo notated:-

Mr W. SHARP’S Mother Scotland. The notation appears to have been altered therefore there are several options. Mr W. SHARP’S Mother, Marshal MUNRO, or if it should read Mrs W. SHARP’S Mother that could be either of William's two Mother-in-laws. 1. Mother of Jane DUNBAR, Mother unknown, or 2. Mother of Helen SHARP, Agnes CAMPBELL b. Carmunnock June 23, 1799. http://s942.photobucket.com/albums/ad26 ... dio-p1.jpg

Page2.
The photo of a couple has no notations, but are assumed to be parents of the two young ladies notated as Euphemia and Marshall. (Both being names of Daughter’s within the SHARP clan of many cousins.). http://s942.photobucket.com/albums/ad26 ... dio-p2.jpg

Page 3.
Photos notated, Mrs Hunter, and Mrs Hunter’s Daughter, plus a photo of a family without any notation. http://s942.photobucket.com/albums/ad26 ... dio-p3.jpg


Page 4.
Also included is a pre 1893 photo from the album, which includes James RUSSELL, son of Wm RUSSELL. James died in 1893 aged 20. http://s942.photobucket.com/albums/ad26 ... dio-p4.jpg A reference to this family, was made on the TS forum thread titled “Does anyone know anything about Eaglesham” viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14983&p=122123&hili ... am#p122123
Thanks to all for the technical assistance, educating me enough, to make this post possible.

Alan SHARP.

Links repaired. Frances

[AndrewP]

Hi Alan,

The links you have given have been shortened. You need the full link as found below your pictures on Photobucket. You should not have any ... within the link.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Alan SHARP]

Thank you TS team.

Thanks for helping me through the processes. If there is a next time, I will make sure the file size is smaller. While the links show quite quickly on broadband, my country dial-up connection takes a very long time. Something I was concerned about, and wanting to strike a balance, but without the expertise to do so. However if there were no sites like yours, my Glasgow photos would still be sitting in some Family History Society Library.

Thanks TS for giving them the light of day, where they would be appreciated.

Alan SHARP

Edit:
PS; Two to three minutes to load up the photobucket stored pages on my dial up service. Quicker for the next photo when clicking on next in that programme, than when returning to the TS thread before selecting the next photo page. AS

[Currie]

Hello Alan,

Regarding photo page 1.

The story seems to be that Alexander Macnab had his photography business at 98 West Nile Street from the 1850s but sold it in 1867. At the time he was residing in Mendocina County, California. It continued to operate under the same name under various owners. In 1872 the address of the premises was changed to No. 96 and that was the address until at least 1877. By 1881 the address was 92 West Nile Street. In 1898 Alexander Macnab was operating at 92 West Nile Street, at Victoria Studio Bridgeton, both in Glasgow, and also at Uddingston.

The foregoing is all according to newspaper and Gazette information. According to the following site Macnab’s was at 92 West Nile Street from 1877 to 1909. http://www.20th-century-collectables.co ... tcards.htm

In these sites you may find information about the other photographers, about different formats and dimensions, and when they were popular, about clothing fashions, and even info about the old style albums.

Glasgow Victorian Photographer website
http://www.thelows.madasafish.com/

Victorian and Edwardian Photographs site.
http://www.rogerco.freeserve.co.uk/

It’s probably unusually difficult to determine the clothing style of a seated lady well covered by a shawl. If she was born in the 1790s, and if the photographers address is 92 West Nile, (is that what it is?) which appears to be from 1877, then that would make her at least 81. She doesn’t look that old to me, but I’m not much of a judge of that. It looks a bit like a Cabinet photo to me but that depends on the dimensions. It could possibly even be an enlarged copy of an older CDV because in 1865 Macnabs was advertising Cabinet enlargements from CDV’s.

Does anyone have any thoughts about the lady’s age etc?

It’s probably better in the long run to post pictures individually, rather than compiled on a page, so that you end up with a larger onscreen image. One easy way of resizing images scanned at high resolutions is to right click them and send a copy to yourself, by email, with the ‘make smaller’ button ticked. That way you should get a photo with dimensions about 640 x 480. That’s the sort of size of photo you’ll find on sites like Geograph.org and the download speed for viewers should be not much worse than photos from that site. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/359934

Anything worth doing or seeing is definitely worth the wait.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

[paddyscar]

Another way to make your screen display larger so you can see the pictures, is to hold down the control button while rolling the scroll wheel on the mouse.

Frances

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Alan (Currie)

Sorry it has taken a week to get back to you. Has been a busy week, and I have been side tracked with quick fire replies to other threads. Some one keeps side tracking me. I wanted time to do justice to exploring the links before replying.

Thanks to the TS TEAM, and your input I'm already much wiser. I Goggled all the key words, that I could think of, but perhaps my best find was http://www.rps.org (Royal Photographic Society) however, their site was not as informative, as the links you have provided above. You do have a talent (or expertise) in hunting out the media, and what has been published. My biggest handicap, is that at this time I can only justify getting a dial up service, so large files take time to display, and view, or transmit.

With a lot of help, the four page editorial spread which I did, with the scanned photos, took nearly an hour to transmit. They have a two fold purpose, as I print out short A4 sized editorial copy, and laminate it for displaying at family functions. A cheap, easy read, that does not deteriorate with handling by many hands, or can be attached to corflute display boards.

Had I transmitted each of the scanned photos, in my archival saved form, they would have taken ten minutes each. At 600 dpi in colour, they ranged from 980 KB to about 1.1 MB. As it is, the pages can be copied from the "photobucket" screen image and pasted in MS WORD, or an image processing programme, to allow for some enlargement, without loosing too much definition. I'm happy with the images as they appear, for advisers to give a general opinion, and if need be individual high resolution photos, can be supplied for expert evaluation, or family comparison with potential matches held.

Had I supplied the 100 dpi scans, of the same photos, they would only have been say 420 x 650 = just under 70 KB and would not have enlarged much without loosing detail.

Your very informative links above, confirm my belief that most of the photos are of the period c. 1900, +/- 10 years, and our educated assumption that Gt., Aunt Mary was gifted the album in 1907.

The oldest photo, will probably be the one notated as being of a Gran. Of the possibilities; one birth date is unknown; and the other two were 1796 & 1799 respectively, making the woman in the photo, in her early 90's if the notation, that it was a Grand Mother, is correct. (See edit).

The album was made to hold the 4, 1/4 " x 6, 1/2" (inch) photo, and all are approximately that dimension. The photo is definitely of the Green & Gold series, though now the colour looks more black than dark green. No image of the back, was taken, because there was no printing, nor embossing, on the back.

Hopefully now, a day will come when someone says, I've seen that photo before !

Many thanks for your help. As always, you dig out some very interesting material, from the archive that is the www. Where would we be without it. The "thelows" and the "rogerco" links are well worth a look up, for those interested in Glasgow photos, of that period.

Alan SHARP.

Edit: There is an outside chance that the notation was referring to Mrs James Doull, of Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, and though I have not looked up her age, she would not have been that much younger, as that William was born in 1845, and his wife Cecilia Brown DOULL, was the eldest daughter in her family.

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings again Alan.

Those very interesting links, that you supplied, has had me thinking all night. They say a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. In 1994 the late Alf Burgess from Gisborne NZ, sent me a very poor photo copy of what he claimed was a very old, and dark photo, of Jane SHARP. The implication being, the photo was of the Jane SHARP, born in Auckland NZ in 1847, and who married Robert ATKINS, and raised their large family at Patutahi, Gisborne.


http://s942.photobucket.com/albums/ad26 ... ent=tn.jpg


However, the image looks to be older than that of a lady in her 40's, yet the size of the image (approx 6 x 9 cm) and the style of the image, appear to be in the fashion of the 1880's (web page info) unless the NZ photographer was using outdated techniques. (The adventurous sorts who emigrated, in the main, were usually experimenting with the latest ideas, unshackled from the restraints of home.)

Therefore this image may well be from the preceding generation. Jane's Mother, Jane Dunbar b. 1814, or even Jane’s Mother-in-law, Marshal SHARP nee MUNRO.

Back once again, to the lady purported to be in the green & gold series photo, in the above post. Oh dear ! Even more unanswered questions.

Alan SHARP.

Edit: Attempted to attach a Photobucket link, re the photo from the late Alf Burgess
2. YES ! a qualified success. Now you can see the image. I scanned it at 300 dpi (400 KB) and forwarded that, perhaps I should have sent my 600 dpi archival copy (1.44 MB), but that would have taken the best part of 20 minutes for me to send. This image does not like being enlarged.

[Currie]

That’s okay Alan,

I’ve had a few photocopies of old photographs sent to me and they’re often pretty awful, especially those done by an old machine.

I looked up James Doull in the newspapers and found something in the Glasgow Herald, Saturday, June 5, 1869. It’s only a copy of what’s in the N.Z. papers, they probably got it from the Daily Southern Cross, 26 February 1869. There’s another Auckland marriage immediately above. Right click to save it.

MARRIAGES.
At Grafton Road, Auckland, N.Z., on the 25th February, by the Rev. Dr. Wallis, William, son of Mr William Sharp, of Rocky Villa, to Cecilia Brown, daughter of Mr James Doull, late of Alexandria, Dumbartonshire.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... Doull2.jpg

All the best,
Alan

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Alan.

That clip re the Wm SHARP & Cecilia Brown DOULL wedding is one of the first family history research items I came across when doing the research the hard way. Eye balling the archived material in the Auckland Public Library and the Auckland Museum Library. 1979-1980. (It’s so easy now, with PapersPast coming to you, in your own home.)

Dad’s cousin Lex RIDDELL, who helped my Gt Aunt Rene organize the RIDDELL/Riddle reunions at WOODLANDS, contacted his cousins and within a matter of weeks had combined their supplied data, with the research of his uncle Wm RIDDELL, to produce a Family Wheel (Circle display) going back to John RIDDEL a Shepherd at Wauchope pre 1800. The Circle was closed for four generations until James RIDDLE 1857-1938 came to NZ, then named all the NZ descendants of the four generations through to the February 28th 1979 reunion. Inspired, Dad’s eldest Sister and I set out to do the same for the SHARPS.

Thirty one years later Aunt Mary (KEMPSTER nee SHARP) has passed on, and I’m still short of some names, to complete the SHARP display circle to 1980, yet alone 2010. Such is the confusion caused by the marriage of close relatives. One of the families that Mary had contact with, but I don’t (with the current generation), is the descendants of Bertie FOX, who descend from the William SHARP who’s wedding notice you have found.

The advent of the www and interest in genealogy has brought about some very rapid gains in our research. Especially these last twelve months. Through sites like TS and the search engines, researchers have found my published findings and together we lave found “lost” generations. Because it is maths, a precise science, that powers computers, achieving results is often frustrating when you make a one key stroke mistake, and do not have a lateral thinking mind, to come up with alternatives to put into search engines.

This is where I really admire your ability Alan. Coupled with experience, you have proven yourself to be very good at hunting out material, which we would not achieve.

Two of my successes this autumn bare this out. Thirty years ago I was able to uplift from Lands & Deeds a copy of William SHARP’s 1852, 21 year lease. The lease included the drawing and measurements, but no identifiers that could help me place it near the Harp of Erin Pub, (Easily located on any map) that was always used for the address on documents. As the lease was with the Trustee of the “Auckland Hospital Reserved Lands”, I did numerous searches based upon the words “Reserved” and “Reserves” to no avail. Upon chance, when looking through the online Auckland Public Library Maps and Plans, I happened upon a plan titled “Hospital Endowment” when doing, of all things, a Mt Eden search. The only time I have seen the word “Endowment” used in relation to many hits, about the Hospital Reserved Lands. The plan clearly showing the title’s 27 acre placement, in relation to five roads. What a find, and now easily overlaid on a modern suburban map.

At the same time I uplifted another land deed, of the purchase of a section, in a subdivision of six titles. The subdivision fronted Eden Road and (clear hand writing for the eye to see) Searborough Terrace. There is a long road in Auckland, that since the early days, ran from the sea/harbour on the east coast of NZ (Tamaki) through to the west coast (Mauakau Harbour) Along overlapping sections of this road, it has gone through many name changes down the years. It passes through the shoulder of Mt Eden, and there are a number of adjacent 'terrace' streets, but no where could I find, any material on road closures, and road/street name changes, that mentioned ‘Searborough Terrace’. Not being an Aucklander, the now obvious Scarborough Terrace, in the very up-market suburb of Parnell, never occurred to me, until one day Goggles FUZZY logic asked “did you mean Scarborough Terrace”. !

The point of my ramblings being, Alan – keep up the stirling good research on behalf of others, - and members if you are doing your own advanced searches, don’t aim a sporting rifle at your target, fire a big scatter gun in the general direction. If you are lucky, something might just fall out of the sky, that surprises you.

Re Alan’s BD&M notice find: It was very common for NZ papers, of the period, to carry an additional note – “Home papers please copy” so it pays to check out the local paper, in the area of Scotland so named. There just might be a mention, with additional information tying it in to the folks ‘at home’ back home in Scotland.

If you ever find one referring to the March 1862 re marriage of Wm SHARP and Helen SHARP, Auckland NZ, in a Dumbartonshire Publication, I would be very interested. Home address given as - Helen SHARP third daughter of John SHARP, late of Flowerbank, Clyndon, Roseneath Bay, Helensburgh.

Or the James DOULL, late of Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, as per clip you have published. Of note there was a FREE CHURCH Rev. James Doull 1843 – 1900, in Bulls NZ, but I don’t know if he was a direct relative of Cecilia. Cecilia’s parents, I believe, were James Doul/ll and Cecilia BROWN (m. 25-9-1840) of Lennoxtown Clachan and of Campsie Stirling, and the Grand Father being John BROWN, Campsie, Stirling.

Thanks, keep up the good works – Alan SHARP

Edit: Corrected transposed reunion date.

[Currie]

Hello Alan,

It sounds like you’ve done some interesting research.

The 1862 marriage is in the Glasgow Herald, Friday, June 13, 1862, but I couldn’t see anything else useful.

MARRIAGES.
At Otabubu Road, near Auckland, New Zealand, on the 7th March, by the Rev. George Brown, of Onehunga, William Sharp, farmer, eldest son of William Sharp, Pollokshaws, Scotland, to Helen, third daughter of John Sharp, Otabubu Road, late of Clynder, Roseneath.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... -Sharp.jpg

Alan