James Millar Mackay

EPS Member

J M Mackay appeared in the Edinburgh trade directories as  a photographer from 1872 to 1874, and then became an artist.

However, the subjects of his lectures to EPS suggest that his photographic business began several years before 1872.

- 1868:  The Construction of the Glass house for Portraiture

- 1870:  A few remarks on Backgrounds

Lectures to EPS

In the first of his two lectures to EPS, James M Mackay spoke of the importance of light and capturing expressions.  He said:

"Excellence does not consist in the mere fact of being able to procure an image of the sitter .... Unless we have secured the characteristic expression belonging to the individual, the negative becomes utterly valueless."

He recommended all four sides of the studio glazed, allow sufficient light throughout the year.  This would allow an almost instantaneous picture to be taken in the summer, so abandoning the headrest altogether.  In the winter, he estimated that an exposure of eight to ten seconds would be needed.   He added:

"We all know that in the latter season of the year becomes so enfeebled by the vapours and fogs by which we are almost constantly surrounded , it is almost impossible to take a perfect negative, especially in large commercial cities."

[BJP 1868,  p.519]

Further Details

Pre-1872

Thank you to John Humphrey, Toronto, Canada, who followed up the point above about J M Mackay's photography before he appeared in the Edinburgh trade directories in 1872

John sent me a copy of an advert that appeared in the Kilmarnock Weekly Post on 14 March 1863, showing that J M Mackay had been a photographer in Ayrshire for several years before opening his studio in Edinburgh.

The advert is interesting, showing the price for cartes de visite when sold singly, by the half-dozen or by the dozen.

John Humphrey found this advert on on Rob Close's web site:

Name and Date of Birth

Thank you, also, to John Humphrey for the following details:

[The middle name, Millar, was new to me as it did not appear in the trade directories.]

Alexander Sutherland Mackay

Possibly the brother of James Millar Mackay

Question

John Humphrey asked the following question. 

John Humphrey has provided further details of:

-  his great grandfather, Kilmarnock photographer John Humphrey.

-  his grandfather, the Wick photogrpaher, John Gemmell Humphrey.  

Please click below to read these details,  and also some comments on photography and art.

If you can provide any further information, please e-mail me and I will pass on your comment to John .  Thank you.

George Ritchie Mackay

and

James M Mackay

Question

Was James M Mackay related to George R Mackay?

Answer

Thank you to Alan Mackay for the following message:

[Alan Mackay is great grandson of Hugh Mackay who owned the Palace Hotel on Princes Street/corner of Castle Street and was also a President of the Clan Mackay Society.]

Alan Mackay (above) did not believe that he is related to the Mackay photographers.  However, he subsequently wrote in Feb 2005:'

The address of George Ritchie Mackay's studio from 1916 was 70 Leith Walk.

George Ritchie Mackay