Comment 1

"This picture is of

-  JG Tunny

-  JGT's 3rd wife, Margaret (Wilson) Tunny

-  4 Tunny children

-  James M

-  Thomas

-  Leonard

-  Leeba

I have named these children, based in:

-  their gender

-  estimated ages

-  the fact that Margaret is in the picture

-  the studio addresses listed on the reverse

This family picture is solid evidence to support Julian's comment that this photo is of JG Tunny."

©

Sheldon Cunningham, Plano, Texas, USA:  November 15, 2010

Comment 2

JG Tunny's Burns

"Note how  JG Tunny's left hand is discolored, and possibly has sores on it.  At 200 or 400 magnification, the hand seems to be covered with scabs and gray blotches. I wonder if this condition could be a chemical burn from the studio fire  that he had (I haven't checked the timing), or an illness."

Sheldon Cunningham, Plano, Texas, USA:  November 15, 2010

Comment 3

The Family

"In order of youngest to oldest, the people in this photo are:

-  Leeba, aged 5 (b. Jan 1861)

-  Leonard, aged 6 or 7 (b. Dec 1859)

-  James, aged 14 (b. Jul 1852)

-  Margaret Wilson, aged 24 (b. Jun 1842)

-  James G. Tunny, aged 46 (b. Apr 1820).

I am of the opinion that this photo was probably taken in the summer of 1866 (judging by the summer dress that Leeba is wearing) and no later than November 1866. James Tunny did not marry Margaret until November 1866 when she was already pregnant.  There is nothing to indicate them being married in this photo (unlike photos3 and 6 of Margaret)."

JG Tunny's Burns

"With regard to Tunny’s burnt and swollen left hand, and the burns noticeable on the knuckles of his right hand, these could not be as a result of the fire in his Salisbury Place studio as this did not occur until 1873.

Rather it is more likely to be as a result of putting out a fire at the school in Burntisland. One of his best friends, Mr Davidson, to whom Tunny had taught the techniques of photography, was headmaster there.

In describing the fire (that probably occurred in the 1860s) during his 1869 lecture entitled 'Early Reminiscences of Photography'  Tunny explained:

'Davidson woke me one morning saying “Tunny, get up! I think the schule’s on fire!”  I sprung to my feet, then into my pants.  Down the stairs I went, and, no mistake, the school really was on fire.

As the flames met us on opening the door, the gas pipes were melting, and I was just in time to get the gas screwed off at the meter.  In a few minutes the flames were subdued'."

Julien Bukits, Edinburgh:  November 16, 2010

Comment 4

Sheldon Cunningham replied:

"I agree with almost all the points that Julian made today about the Tunny photos on this page.

However, I thought that this group photo

©

would have been taken about two years later, around 1868, and that the baby would have been left out because it could not sit motionless for the time required for the photo to be taken."

Sheldon Cunningham, Plano, Texas, USA:  November 16, 2010