The Early Photographers of Perthshire

A look at the work and lives of the early photographers of Perthshire.

In 1839, the world woke up to the amazing new invention of photography. This revolutionary medium created a gold rush of eager practitioners. Victorian Perthshire, in common with most areas of Britain, produced its own adepts of what was called the ‘Black Art’. Today, the majority of Perthshire’s early photographers have been forgotten; much of their work has been lost or destroyed by unfortunate events, with fire an occupational hazard in photographic studios. Fortunately, examples survive in archives and private collections.

The aim of The Early Photographers of Perthshire is to shine a light on the Big County’s part in Scottish photographic history. It is also a celebration and archive of the contributions, large and small, made by Perthshire’s early photographers. Be they, David Octavius Hill, ‘one of the nest calotypists in photographic history’; Jessie Mann and Lady Kinnaird, ‘rivals for the accolade of Scotland’s first female photographer’; or James Moyes, ‘who seems to have combined his commercial photography business with his job as a gravedigger.’

Published: 29th November 2016

ISBN: 9780995462328