Featured Photograph
February 2010
Arbroath photographer's W H Geddes and his son John Geddes were in business in Arbroath for over 50 years. During that time they photographed a great number of prominent citizens and local worthies. In the early 1900s John Geddes constructed a large montage of 60 Arbroath worthies including Deacon Elshender, James Shanks, Coxswain Gilbert, Alickie Gauldie, David Corsar and poet David Carnegie amongst many others. The largest of three copies held by Angus Archives was donated by Ernest Cobb (1878-1964), former chairman of the Arbroath Library Committee) in 1952 as part of a large photographic donation. The following people appear in the montage:
1. G R Thomson senior (auctioneer, amateur actor)
2. Dr Young (a worthy of the 1880s)
3. Albert Gilbert (pilot master and lifeboat coxswain with a collection of ship models)
4. Geordie Downie (inmate of the old poorhouse at Rosebank who was the contractor for the sticks chopped by fellow inmates)
5. Stooley Gray (street orator)
6. Harry Bogie (a mason's labourer, after a few drinks, climbed a steeplejack's ladder at the Burnside factory and walked around the rim)
7. A Blair (author of Rantin Robin)
8. Louis Moltini (centenarian)
9. Provost G Rutherford Thomson junior (auctioneer & Provost 1914-1918)
10. James Cumming (of Greenbank, latterly the North Sea Hotel & partner in the firm Balfour & Cumming, manufacturers)
11. Alexander Gordon (of Ashludie, manufacturer at Burnside Mill, more popularly known as Gordon's Mill)
12. Andrew Lowson (Elmbank, owner of the Baltic Mill & Green Mill)
13. Dr J S Crichton (son of Rev Crichton of Inverbrothock Church & predecessor of Dr Laing)
14. Rev Dr Henry Angus (minister at the Erskine U P Church)
15. Dr Key
16. Dr John Russell (assistant to Dr J A Dewar & also his son-in-law)
17. John Mill or John Milne (police superintendent, burgh surveyor and general town factotum in the early 1890s)
18. David Arthur aka Bauldi (famous for his wry of shears to grind)
19. Postie Carnegie or Postie Cairnie (2 versions of the same identification)
20. Rev J E McDougall (Ladyloan Parish Church & lived at Springfield House, his wife's house through her father Town Clerk David Louson of Springfield)
21. Jamie Burke (born on the field of Waterloo & a butcher's messenger)
22. Councillor John Michie (bellringer and billposter, elected as a councillor in 1887)
23. Dr Alexander Brown (astronomer)
24. D McKenzie (ship broker at the Shore)
25. Alfred T Matthews (lapper at the Alma Works & poet & artist)
26. David Douglas (auctioneer)
27. James Greig (artist & journalist who started his career on the Arbroath Herald)
28. Provost William Alexander (served 3 terms as chief magistrate & served on the School Board)
29. Provost Colin Grant (boot manufacturer)
30. J M McBain (British Linen Bank agent & antiquarian author)
31. Andrew Gordon (cave dwelling hermit)
32. W Hogg (precentor at Ladyloan Free Church)
33. Bailie W F Mackintosh (solicitor & procurator)
34. David Carnegie (poet)
35. Jock Mash
36. William Culbert aka Stumpie Culbert (fruit merchant)
37. John Bremner (printer & publisher in Commerce Street)
38. Curlie McLean (heckler & orator)
39. A Findlay (grocer)
40. G W MacDonald (poet & Abbey custodian)
41. Stumpie Boyle (fruiterer in Market Place)
42. Samuel Fairweather (boot manufacturer at the Park Street Works)
43. Dr J A Dewar (family home at 13 Hill Terrace, Arbroath latterly bought by the Town Council for offices & named Dewar House)
44. John Simpson (of Cliff House & flax merchant)
45. James Shanks (of Roseley, engineer & lawn mower manufacturer)
46. Dr J Anderson (of Comely Bank, the police doctor & Medical Officer for the burgh)
47 Alexander Balfour (of Inchock & Bloomfield, partner in Balfour & Cumming, manufacturers)
48. John Napier and Provost George Keith of Keith Lodge, Kepite Street (his son founded James Keith & Sons)
49. Bailie Robert Melvin (coachbuilder in Union Street East)
50. Katie Elshender (wife of Deacon Elshender. She used to sell bones to Abbey visitors)
51. Charles Carnegie (street porter)
52. David Tyrie (town bellman before John Michie)
53. Johnathon Watt (chimney sweep who became a missionary to the fisher folk in the town)
54. Deacon Elshender (famous shot & custodian of Arbroath Abbey)
55. Bailie James Cargill (solicitor)
56. Alickie Gauldie & Chief Constable Duncan McNeill,
57. Coxswain Smith (lifeboat)
58. Rev James Thomson (of the Parish Kirk at the time of the fire in 1892)
59. Major Ferguson (Volunteers)
60. Dr David Laing (major in the Volunteers)
61. David Corsar (of the Elms, manufacturer)
62. Dr Thomas Dewar (served in the Boer War, son of Dr J A Dewar)
The original photograph can be viewed in Angus Archives at MS747/18/4
© Angus Council 1998 - 2010