Lantern slide of Holyrood Palace

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

52289

Title

Black and white lantern slide of Holyrood Palace taken by George Washington Wilson, c. 1890-1900

Description

Black and white lantern slide of Holyrood Palace taken by George Washington Wilson, c. 1890-1900

Type

Lantern slide; Photograph

Accession number

HH6219/1/2002-070

Copyright

The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

The slide has the initials "G.W.W." written on the back. This is likely to be George Washington Wilson.

George Washington Wilson (1823-1893) was a renowned Aberdeen born photographer who came to prominence following his contract to work with the Royal Family after documenting the building of Balmoral Castle in the mid-1850s.

Originally a portrait photographer Wilson moved into landscape photography pioneering techniques in outdoor, documentary photography and in the mass production of photographic prints. In his own lifetime he achieved great success. The 1881 census records the then 57-year-old Wilson as ‘master photographer’ employing some 15 men, 21 women, two boys and two girls.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the Queen's official residence in Scotland. The site was founded as an Augustian monastery in 1128 by David I, after he had a vision of a stag with a rood or cross on its forehead. In 1501 James IV built a palace close to the Abbey. The Palace was home to Mary Queen of Scots from 1561-1567. It also played host to Cromwell's troops during the English Civil War, during which time it suffered extensive fire damage. It was significantly rebuilt and extended by Charles II, though he never stayed there. In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie held court there after seizing control of Edinburgh. Queen Victoria revived its use as a royal residence.

In the 1860s Wilson photographed not only his hometown of Aberdeen and the North East but the whole of Scotland, most of England and areas of Wales and Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Morocco, the South of Spain, colonial South Africa and Australia. In the 1870s he turned to staff photographers to add to the firm’s stock.

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