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Between
1843 and 1847, David Octavius Hill, the artist, and Robert Adamson, who learnt
his photography in St Andrews,
worked together from Rock House, Calton
Hill, in Edinburgh, producing calotype images. Opinions differ on how many
calotypes they produced, but it seems to be generally agreed that the
number was at least 3,000.
These,
included buildings in Edinburgh and St Andrews, about 120 images of the fisherwomen of Newhaven, many
portraits of artists and several hundred portraits of Ministers of Church of Scotland.
The
partnership appears not to have advertised for individual customers to
visit their studio, as other photographers of the period did.
Instead, they appear to have been intent on making their images for a
wider audience.
Unfortunately
Robert Adamson suffered ill health. He returned in poor health to St
Andrews in late 1847. He died there, early in 1848, aged twenty-six.
Miss
Mann
Miss
Mann appears to have been an assistant to the Hill & Adamson
partnership at Rock House. It is reported that in a letter from the
painter James Naysmith to DO Hill, written in August 1845, Naysmith
enquires about the health of Miss Mann, that
most skilful and zealous of assistants.
[BH:SC]
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