PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM NO 53: THE MERRICK ALBUM

Description PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM NO 53: THE MERRICK ALBUM

Date 1860 to 1886

Collection General Collection. Photograph Albums.

Catalogue Number PA 53

Category All Other

Copies PA 53/10V, PA 53/28, PA 53/42/2, PA 53/53/4, PA 53/50/1, PA 53/11/2, PA 53/11/C, PA 53/78A, PA 53/76A, PA 53/47/1, PA 53/21A, PA 53/47A, PA 53/30/2, PA 53/8, B 13801

Scope and Content Bottle green Morocco leather album, elaborately embossed with gold. Insc: (front cover) 'H I M ' The album seems to have been compiled by "H.I.M.", probably Hezekiah Merrick of Eskhill House at Roslin, related to John Merrick, founder, c.1800, of the Gunpowder Mills there. Included are views of the Merrick family and photographs which seem to have been taken for H. Merrick by JOHN THOMSON, custodian of Roslin Chapel and steward of the estate of the Earl of Roslin. This is evidenced by an inscription written in pencil below one of the photographs of Roslin Chapel which reads: "carved pillar was discovered during restoration. Only two upper courses were carved and Baxter carved remainder. I got Thomson to take this photo for me. H.M. I consider it the handsomest pillar in the chapel." [This is not the Apprentice Pillar.] Another photograph shows the chapel decorated for Christmas 1882. The Thomson photographs alternate with commercial photographs by G.W.Wilson, J. V. Valentine and others, frequently on the verso leaves. The album dates to c. 1860's, with a dated Thomson photograph of 1862 and various newspaper clippings of that decade.Photographs include one of the Gunpowder Mills with about 20 workers, one of the Cylinder there with 32 workers in 1863, and others showing Harecraigs, the bridge at Kirkettle and groups of people.There is a view of Eskhill with figures captioned in pencil as JM Eyres, Mrs HM Eyres, Miss M and D McGill and others show Rosebank with Miss Carrol, Mrs W, Lucy, Major and Miss Wedderburn with children in 1860; Whitehill with Col. Learmonth in a carriage, with a lady and child and, also at Whitehill Mr Ramsay, Lady Louisa and the young ladies. There is also a press cutting dated 27 June 1882 about the life and lineage of Mr Wardlaw-Ramsay, with a view of Cluny House, Aberchirder and two photographs of The Bush. There is also a photograph of a vessel capsized in a harbour with her name "Daphne" clearly visible above the water. This was a steam powered passenger vessel launched from the Linthouse shipyard on the Clyde on 3rd July 1883. Due to a malfunction in the launching apparatus she sank immediately in deep water with the death of 124 workmen and boys who were on board. A memorial park exists in Govan. Other views include the "Rob Roy" on Loch Katrine; Mrs Ferguson's Inn, Inversnaid; Inversnaid Hotel with coaches in snow; Sir Walter Scott's Cottage, Lasswade and Lasswade churches. Grantown, Newbattle Abbey, Drumlanrig, Dalkeith Palace, Borthwick Castle, Craigmillar Castle, Melrose, Peebles, Linlithgow, Stirling, Callander, Lochearnhead, Killin, Pitlochry and Blair Athol are also included. English views show the Channel Fleet; Albert Bridge, Saltash with shipping; Durham, Chatsworth, Carlisle and Whitby. There is also a photograph of a vessel capsized in harbour with her name "Daphne" clearly visible above the water. [This was the steam-powered passenger vessel launched from Linthouse Shipyard on the Clyde, on 3rd July 1883. Due to a malfunction in the launching apparatus she sank immediately in deep water with the death of 124 workmen and boys who were on board. A memorial park exists in Govan.] Purchased at John Smith's, Glasgow, 1983 Previously catalogued as MS/320 The Thomson photographs alternate with commercial photographs by G.W. Wilson, J.V.Valentine and others, frequently on the verso leaves. The album dates to c.1860's, with a dated Thomson photograph of 1862 and various newspaper clippings of that decade.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/399507