Studio Portrait of Newhaven Fishwives

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

11684

Title

Studio portrait of Newhaven fishwives, standing beside and carrying wicker creels

Description

A double image of Newhaven fishwives taken against a painted backdrop. The fishwives are posed with one standing and one seated beside her. They are wearing striped skirts and aprons, heavy dark cloaks, printed blouses and white bonnets. They both have a creel. The backdrop is painted with fishing boats and houses set against a stormy sky.

Artist / maker

Begbie, Thomas

Date

1887

Size

8.3 x 17.1 cm

Type

Glass negative

Location

City Art Centre

Copyright

The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie Prints ; The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

This is a glass negative from the Thomas Begbie Cavaye Collection which is held by City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries.

Newhaven was founded by James IV in 1504 as a royal dockyard. It became an important fishing village, famous initially for oysters and later herring. An indoor fish market was built there in 1896. Newhaven fishwives, with their distinctive striped clothes, sold their goods around Edinburgh. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson famously photographed these fishwives and other Newhaven residents in the 1840's. The area now has a population of roughly five thousand.

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Related subjects

Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Creels

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Aprons

Clothing and dress > Garments > Capes

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Fisherwomen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Newhaven

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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