PSS Members - George Washington Wilson

GWW Photographs

George Washington Wilson (GWW) travelled widely throughout Scotland in search of photographs for his business, based in Aberdeen.

Wilson's company finally went into liquidation in 1908, though many of his glass plate negatives were purchased by a former employee, Fred Hardie, and used to make post cards until 1920.

The University of Aberdeen now holds a collection of 45,000 glass plate negatives that survived from the 1908 liquidation. These have been the subject of research by Roger Taylor.

The University of Aberdeen has published a series of booklets featuring GW Wilson photographs in different areas of Scotland.

Photographic Society of Scotland

GW Wilson became a member of the Photographic Society of Scotland and exhibited photos in PSS Exhibitions.

Below are some examples of his photographs taken in Edinburgh and Newhaven.

View to the East from Waverley

Carte de Visite

Carte de Visite - Princes Street - Photographer: GW Wilson

Here is a carte de visite of Princes Street, taken in 1860 by George Washington Wilson. This view of Princes Street is a cut-down version taken from a stereo pair.

GW Wilson was reported in the photographic press of 1859 to have taken the first "instantaneous view" from this position.

An instantaneous view was one taken with a short exposure and so showing individual figures in the scene, rather than the empty streets captured by longer exposures where none of the subjects stays still for long enough to have their images captured on film.

GW Wilson was not satisfied with the image taken in 1859 so he returned to the same position in 1860 and took more photogrpahs, including the one above.

Newhaven Fishwives

Post Card

Most photographs of Newhaven Fishwives were taken beside the old housing or beside the harbour at Newhaven, about 3 miles to the north of Edinburgh, or else taken in Edinburgh and Portobello studios. This photo is unusual in being taken on the beach, possibly at Newhaven.

GWW - 10,000 views

G W Wilson used a specially designed wide-angle lens for his views. His catalogue in the 1880s listed more than 10,000 views of Scotland.

Source:
Scraps & Stereos' Roddy Simpson, published in The Scots Magazine (July 2003, pp.88-92)