Trade Directories

Lists of Photographers

compiled from the

Trade Directories

Directories

The main source of information for the lists of photographers has been Edinburgh’s Trade Directories. These directories include a wealth of information, but are neither complete nor entirety reliable.

Consulting several different directories can be helpful, giving a more reliable picture, or in some cases can add more confusion! So all dates quoted in these lists should be regarded as approximate.

For a full list of directories used, please see Bibliography

Dates

The lists of dates and studio addresses cover the period 1840 to 1940 together with later details where a business extended beyond 1940. These lists have been compiled from old trade directories, old photographs and other sources. All dates are approximate.

Just one company from the nineteenth century is now in business as photographers – Yerbury of Edinburgh – run by Trevor Yerbury great-grandson of Edward R Yerbury who founded the business in the 1860s

The biographical details include broader information, in some cases, family details and businesses before and after the photographic business. These include artists, engravers, photographic suppliers and a bagpipe maker.

Names

I have listed the photographers with their full names, when I have been able to find full names – even if abbreviated names were normally used. In fact, many variations in names and spellings appear in the directories, and on the backs of cartes de visite. e.g.

Thomas Polson Lugton appeared as:

- Lugton, TP ………. in Lund’s directories
- Lugton, Thomas P .. in Slater’s directories
- Lugton, T Polson … in Macdonald’s directories.

John C Bambrick appeared as:

- John C Bainbrick in directories for1914-17
- John C Baimbrick in directories for 1918-21
- John C Baymbrick in some directories for 1922-25
- John C Bambrick in all other directories to 1935.

Addresses

Fortunately, in contrast with London, very few of Edinburgh’s streets were re-named during the period 1840-1940.

The only significant changes I have found affecting photographers’ addresses are:

Castle Street	part became South Castle Street	1928
Clerk Street	part became South Clerk Street	1868
North Bridge Street	became part of North Bridge	1909
North Bruntsfield Place	became part of Bruntsfield Place	1891
North Pitt Street	became part of Pitt Street	1885
South Bridge	part became South Bridge Street	1902
South Bridge Street	became part of South Bridge	1909
South Hanover Street	became part of Hanover Street	1863
Maitland Street	became part of Shandwick Place	1899

Partnerships

There were many photographic partnerships in Edinburgh. In some instances photographers entered into a succession of partnerships. e.g. see:

- photographers Pringle, Ross and Thomson in Edinburgh

- photographers Halkett, Law, Kerr, Kyles and Muir in Portobello