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George Washington Wilson

551 98

Description George Washington Wilson

Collection George Washington Wilson

Catalogue Number 551 98

Category All Other

Administrative History George Washington Wilson (1823-1893) was born in the North East of Scotland. He initially trained at Edinburgh as a carpenter, and then in London as a portrait miniaturist. During the 1850s he was able to establish himself as an artist and photographer in Aberdeen. One of his first significant clients was Prince Albert, who invited him to photograph the Royal Family in the grounds of Balmoral. This resulted in Wilson receiving the official appointment of Photographer Royal for Scotland in 1860. Wilson would continue to work for Queen Victoria after Prince Albert's death in 1861. Wilson won various awards for his photographic work, most notably medals at the Great London International Exhibition of 1862 for his short exposure experiments. By this time he was able to set up his own printing works in Aberdeen, George Washington Wilson & Co, capturing images across Britain. He was able to employ a staff of photographers which included his son, Charles Wilson who undertook many tours of South Africa and across Australia, depicting early gold mining settlers and the native ways of life. Wilson & Co also travelled to the Mediterranean, capturing Gibraltar, Tangiers, the South of Spain and Morocco. By the 1880s the firm had become one of the largest and most recognisable printing and photographic firms in the country, in large part to George Washington Wilson's acumen as a photographer and businessman. Wilson passed on his business to his three sons, Charles, Louis and John Wilson in 1888. The company did not survive long under the guidance of the Wilson brothers, with large parts of the company being sold off in 1905, and ceasing trade fully in 1908. Fred Hardie, one of Wilson & Co's senior photographers, acquired a substantial amount of the company's stock after a 1908 auction, which was later passed onto Archibald J B Strachan, one time assistant to Hardie. When moving to new premises in 1954, Strachan offered the collection to the Aberdeen University Library, where the collection is now preserved.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1176397

Collection Hierarchy - Collection Level

Collection Level (551 98) George Washington Wilson

Preview Category Catalogue Number Title Date Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images E 26266 Copy negative of an historic photographic view of the beach at Aberlady showing bathing huts with the church in the background, taken from the NW. c. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images RX 4259 PO Copy of historic photographic view from SW. Titled: '2nd bridge on the Jed, Jedburgh'. c. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images RX 4260 PO Copy of historic photographic view from SW. Titled: '2nd bridge on the Jed and Sunny Brae Scaur' Hundaleebank is visible in right background. c. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images EL 6406 PO Historic photographic view of the beach at Aberlady showing bathing huts with the church in the background, taken from the NW. c. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images BN 1329 Copy of historic photograph showing view from S. c. 1885 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images ST 9252 Copy of historic photograph showing general view. c. 1890 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images C 65657 Copy of historic photograph showing general view from S. 1900 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images AY 2560 Copy of historic photograph showing view from W. c. 1900 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images PB 1937 S View from W. 1860 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images SC 981346 Historic photograph. View of hotel and Glencoe, inscr; 'The Pap of Glencoe, Ballachulish Hotel, G.W.W.' c. 1875 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images B 18291 General view. c. 1895 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images B 18477 General view. c. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images C 19451 General view from the East. Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images G 81852 S General view. Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images E 72817 General view from South East. Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images B 27862 S View from South c. 1893 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images SC 1383521 Copy negative of an historic photographic view of the beach at Aberlady showing bathing huts with the church in the background, taken from the NW. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images SC 1396641 General view of Brig o' Balgownie 1900 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images SC 1387244 Copy of historic photograph showing interior of court room. Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images SC 1537847 Pitkeathly Wells. Historic photographic view. Insc: 'Pitcaithly Wells Bridge of Earn 1186 GWW'. c. 1875 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images J 13936 View of unidentified bridge. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images J 13931 PO View of the Red Cuillins, Skye, from Sligachan. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images J 13932 PO View of Ballachulish Hotel. 1880 Item Level
Photographs and Off-line Digital Images J 13935 PO View of Oban from the south. 1880 Item Level

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