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Ross
& Thomson
Studios
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James Ross entered
into partnership first with John Thomson from 1848 until
1864, and possibly over a longer period. Their studio addresses
are given below.
In 1848, John Thomson took over the
daguerreotype business of
Thomas Davidson Lecture to EPS on
early photography in Edinburgh by the Edinburgh Librarian, C S Minto.
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From June 1849, Ross & Thomson were awarded the Royal Warrant “Photographers to the Queen”
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[NLSR]
The last three of these
addresses did have been taken from the back of cartes de visite.
As there was no entry for Ross & Thomson at any of these three addresses
in the Edinburgh trade directories, I cannot say when the partnership
worked from these addresses.
Calton Hill,
however, is likely to have been towards the beginning of their
partnership.
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1848-64
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90 Princes Street
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1856-58
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80 Princes Street
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?
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_ Calton Hill
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?
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10 Greenside Street
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?
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_ Lothian Road
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Ross
& Thomson
Photographs |
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In 1850 the press
reported that Ross & Thomson had exhibited "the first British albumen photograph taken by a modified method
of their own"., at the British Association meeting in Aberdeen.
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Ross
& Thomson
Paris
Exhibition - 1855
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Award to
Ross & Thomson
Ross & Thomson received
Honourable Mentions in the 1855 Paris Exhibition for their daguerreotype
entry.
John Hannavy reports
that Ross & Thomson were:
- the only
Scottish photographers to exhibit.
- one of only
3 British photographers to exhibit daguerreotypes, the others being
Claudet and another London photographer. of only three British photograph
Source: Exhibition Catalogue -
British Section - Acknowledgement to John Hannavy and Roger
Taylor |
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Other Awards
at the
Paris Exhibition
British photographers
receiving awards in the 1855 Paris Exhibition were:
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Grand Medal of Honour: |
H F
Talbot |
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Silver
Medals |
J A F Claudet,
R Fenton,
J D
Llewellyn,
Maxwell Lyte,
Count de Montizon,
Robertson,
Shelock,
C Thompson,
H White. |
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Bronze
Medals |
P H
Delamotte,
H W
Diamond,
W T
Kingsley,
Lamb,
O G
Rejlander,
B B
Turner,
F
Townshend,
H R Williams |
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Honourable Mentions |
J E
Myall,
W J
Newton,
Reade,
Ross &
Thomson,
West,
Wilks. |
Source: Journal of the Photographic
Society; 21 Dec 1855, page 217, |
Ross
& Thomson
Edinburgh Exhibitions
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1st
PSS Exhibition, Dec 1856
Ross
& Thomson exhibited
44 photographs including:
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22 Daguerreotypes
- 7
stereoscopic views
Speaking of one of their entries,
the Press
enthused:
“He
has a poor taste indeed who will not at once admit its immense
superiority, even as a picture over every other in the room, and
especially over the coloured abominations we have been noticing.
It is above any of Claudet’s hanging beside it in vigour and
relief; and even in tone it is superior.”
[DE:6/1/1857]
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2nd
Art Manufactures Exhibition, Dec 1857
Ross
& Thomson exhibited
[I have to check exactly what they exhibited.]
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5th
PSS Exhibition, Feb 1861
John
Ross
exhibited two portraits in the 5th PSS Exhibition in 1861.
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1890
EPS
Exhibition
John
Ross
exhibited platinotype photographs of interiors in the 1890 EPS Exhibition.
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[Source: 1856
and 1890 = Exhibition Catalogues. Other years = contemporary
Scottish newspapers] |
Ross
& Thomson
Other British Exhibitions
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London -
Great Exhibition - 1851
Frames of
Tablotype pictures and negatives on albumenised glass.
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London
Society of Arts - 1852
17 photos on albumenised glass, most being views in and around
Edinburgh. |
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Aberdeen
Mechanics' Institution - 1853
- 49 calotypes, including many landscapes
- 4 Daguerreotype portraits
- 1 Stereoscopic view of draught players |
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Society of
Arts 1st Tour - 1853-54
- 1 landscape (Melrose Abbey) |
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Dundee Royal
Infirmary Fund - 1854
- 2 albumenised landscapes (Edinburgh)) |
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London
Society of Arts - 1854
- 3 albumen on glass (Scottish landscapes)
- 3 collodion (Scottish landscapes)
- 1 collodion (portrait) |
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Society of
Arts 2nd Tour - 1854
- 1 albumised glass (Melrose Abbey) |
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Society of
Arts 3rd Tour - 1855-56
1st set: 1 albumised glass
(Melrose Abbey)
2nd set: 1 albumised glass (Melrose
Abbey) |
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London
Society of Arts - 1858
- 37 collodion (mostly Scottish landscapes)
- 1 collodion (portrait) |
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British
Association, Aberdeen - 1859
- 39 collodion (mostly plants and leaves) |
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Glasgow -
1859
- 35 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
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London -
1859
- 4 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
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London -
1860
- 4 collodion (mostly plants and leaves, a few views) |
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London
International Exhibition - 1862
- cartes de visite
- 2 portraits |
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London -
1863
- 1 collodion |
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London -
1864
- 4 collodion |
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[Source:
Photographs exhibited in Britain 1839-1855
(Roger Taylor)] |
Ross
& Thomson
Photographs
in Collections
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Early
photographs by Ross & Thomson are held by The Scottish National
Portrait Gallery, The Royal Commission of Ancient & Historic Monuments
in Scotland, and in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.
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