Cumming

Jas Cumming,  John Cumming,  Walter J H Cumming

James or Jasper * Cumming

*  NOTE:   When I saw Jas Cumming listed in the trade directories, I assumed this was James Cumming.  However, I've now received an email from Jose Puigcerver in Spain, telling me:

"Jas Cumming could be Jasper Cumming, my gran mother was a Cumming, her father's name was Jasper.   Jasper was a common name in the family."

Jose Julio Tato Puigcerver, Spain:  June 4, 2009

Jas Cumming was listed in the Edinburgh trade directories with studios at:

In fact, both these addresses refer to the same studio, on the corner of the street.  It had one entrance facing south at No 75 Princes Street and one facing west at 1 Hanover Street.

Many different photographers were based here during the period 1848 to 1946.  Some, including Parisian Photo Co. were listed under  both of these addresses in the trade directories.

Jas  Cumming was described in the trade directories as Artist .  He was described in the trade directories as J Cumming*

Cartes de visite he used the name Jas Cumming or J Cumming*

*  It is possible that J Cumming may have referred to John rather than Jas. Cumming.

On the back of one of the cartes de visite, the description was

John  Cumming

Until recently I received  the only evidence that I had of John Cumming being a photographer was this entry found in the New Edinburgh Leith & County Directory:

Silvermills lies to the south of Canonmills.  It is about half a mile north of Princes Street.

However, in March 2006,  Ron Cosens who runs the Victorian Image Collection web site sent me this copy of a carte de visite by John Cumming.  Please click on the image below to enlarge it and read more about it.

©    ©

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This shows that John Cumming, like James Cumming was based at 75 Princes Street, though I don't know in which years he was there or which of these photographers produced the cartes de visite from that address under the name J Cumming.

Walter J H Cumming

Who was Walter JH Cumming?  Was he related to John Cumming, James Cumming or the Cumming Brothers? 

He  was admitted a Member of Edinburgh Photographic Society on 4 March 1885, giving his address as 79 Princes Street, an address occupied by a succession of photographers' studios for about 75 years from 1855.

I have not found Walter J H Cumming's name in any of the trade directories, so was he, perhaps, a photographer employed by one of the other Edinburgh's professional photographers?

Cumming Brothers and J D Cumming

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