William K Munro

Below is the front and back of of an interesting carte de visite produced by WK Munro:

Cartes de Visite Portraits

William K Munro had a photographic business in Edinburgh from 1868 to 1907. Many of his cartes de visite had an attractive sketch on the back - three cherubs, the top one holding a large old camera.

On the back of his cartes de visite produced from his studio at 16 North Pitt Street from 1875 to 1884, he advertised:

Copies may be had at any time.

The negative from which this is taken is specially adapted

for producing an enlarged picture of any size.

In the 1890s, he advertised:

Black and white (permanent carbon) prints and solid oil colours

at prices which place them within the reach of the masses

Studio

His premises at 16 Pitt Street were described as:

“Large with two elegant reception rooms, a studio, printing and other rooms. The studio is heated by hot water apparatus and measures thirty-six feet by twenty-five feet.” [ST]

WK Munro's addresses in the Edinburgh trade directories were:

1868-1874 37 North Pitt Street

1875-1884 16 North Pitt Street

1885-1907 58 Pitt Street

1885-1907 16 Pitt Street

NOTES:

1. There was some renumbering of Pitt Street, so WK Munro probably did not move studio as often as the table above suggests.

2. The Edinburgh Trade Directories recorded WK Munro as being based at only 16 Pitt Street from 1887 onwards, but his cartes de visite appear to have continued to use the address, 58 Pitt Street, for many years (possibly until 1907) rather than 16 Pitt Street.

3. The following may be helpful in estimating the approximate dates of WK Munro's cartes de visite. These were numbered consecutively. I have seen cartes numbered up to about 78,500.
Numbers 45,000-57,000 (and possibly some either side) appear to have been allocated when he was based at 16 North Pitt Street, between 1875 and 1884.

EPS Exhibition

William K Munro exhibited two photos in 1876 EPS Exhibition.

1881 Census

William K Munro was listed in the 1881 census as:

Photographer: aged 41

Born: Paisley, Renfrewshire

Resident: The Elms, Dalkeith, Midlothian

Wife: Jane M

Children

1. William: aged 13 (born: Edinburgh)

2. Peter: aged 5 (born: Edinburgh)

3. Isabella: aged 8 (born: Edinburgh)

4. Robert: aged 3 (born: Portobello)

5. George: aged 11 months (born: Dalkeith)

[DR Torrance]