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Thomas Smith

I know of two references to Thomas Smith, photographer, in the mid-19th century, one dated 1860 and the other 1867:

78 South Clerk Street

1860

An advert was placed in The Scotsman on 8 September 1860, stating that Thomas Smith would be taking over the business of James Good Tunny at 78 South Clerk Street:  However it is not clear whether this business would be conducted under the name of Tunny or Smith.

Scotsman Advert

8 September 1860

J G TUNNY begs to inform his Friends and the general Public that his NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC ESTABLISHMENT, 93 PRINCES' STREET will be OPENED on MONDAY first, the 10th inst. and which will be under his personal superintendence.

The BUSINESS at the NEWINGTON PHOTOGRAPHIC ROOMS will be conducted by Mr SMITH, one of Mr Tunny's oldest assistants.

It is not clear whether this business would be conducted under the name of TUNNY or SMITH.  However it seems that Thomas Smith may only have been in charge of the business at 78 South Clerk Street for a few months. 

The following advert appeared in The Scotsman on 3 June 1861:

Scotsman Advert

3 June 1861

GEORGE INGLIS, PHOTOGRAPHER, (Several Years Principal Assistant to Mr Tunny), begs to announce that he Commences Business on his own account on MONDAY FIRST, 3d June in the NEWINGTON PHOTOGRAPHIC ROOMS, 78 CLERK STREET, lately occupied by Mr Tunny.

 

 

South Clerk Street

House Numbering

Julian Bukits has been looking into the history of South Clerk Street.
I was particularly interested to discover whether or not No 87 is likely to have been a photographic studio.  Julian tells me:

-  The numbering of South Clerk St is a wee bit complicated. As well as the northernmost section being originally known as simply Clerk St, it was re-numbered several times during its construction.

-  Before Nos 2-10 South Clerk St and the road for Hope Park Terr were built, this ground was occupied by dwellings numbered 79-87, occupied only by builders, smiths, coopers & plasters. Sounds more like a collection of builders' yards to me than somewhere a well-to-do society photographer would have his studio.

-  As for George R Lawson, he is listed on South Clerk St from 1868 until 1871, at 'newly appeared' (temporary?) premises, at what was numbered '12'. Do you think it may be possible that '87' lay empty until Lawson moved in in 1868, and only then was it renumbered to 12?

The construction of the tenement numbered 12-18 didn't begin until 1872. To add to the confusion, a 'G Lawson' was listed at No 10 South Clerk Street (part of the newly built tenement 2-10) in 1867, though I have him listed as a baker - I can't remember why at the moment, but I did decide that this was definitely another G Lawson.

With acknowledgement to Julian Bukits for background details of James Good Tunny and Thomas Smith.

 

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