George Washington Wilson
(page two)
Wilson first stereographed Roslyn (sometimes printed 'Roslin') in 1859 and returned in the 1860s for further views, some of which he assigned to the same numbers in his stock list. One of his problems was that only a maximum of six prints could be made from one negative per day as the exposure was by daylight. This reduced to four at most in the winter months. As his business grew the demand for views increased dramatically and the only solution was to revisit old haunts and produce futher negatives which became variants of the same scene.
No 94. Interior of Roslin Chapel.
Condition 9.
Order #5503.
Price $18.
No 94. Interior of Roslin Chapel.
Variant.
Condition 8.
Order #5504.
Price $15.
No 95. Interior of Roslin Chapel
- The Nave.
Condition 8/9 (much better
than scan).
Order #5505.
Price $15.
Melrose Abbey must have been one of Wilson's great successes as there are many variations and views from different angles with different people appearing. Here we show a selection.
No 96. Melrose Abbey from the
S.E. This is an early version and bears only the small white label without
attribution to Wilson.
Condition 7.
Order #5506.
Price $15.
No 96. Melrose Abbey, from
south-east.
Condition 8.
Order #5507.
Price $18.
No 96. A much more dramatic
and professional version of No 96. This has a reversed Wilson label from
another title with this title handwritten.
Condition. Three diagonal
surface marks and stain on left image.
Order #5508.
Price $15.
No 97. Melrose Abbey from the
south-west. This is the early version with small white label.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5509.
Price $18.
No 97. Melrose Abbey, from
the SW.
Condition 7/8 (slight marks
in sky).
Order #5510.
Price $18.
No 97. Melrose Abbey, from
the SW.
Condition 8.
Order #5511.
Price $18.
No 98. Melrose Abbey from the
south. Early version with small white label.
Condition 8.
Order #5512.
Price $18.
No 98. Melrose Abbey from the
south. Later version.
Condition 8.
Order #5513.
Price $18.
No 99. Melrose Abbey from the
east.
Condition 9.
Order #5514.
Price $22.
No 99A. Melrose Abbey, from
the East. Early small white label.
Condition. Dent in mount at
top, otherwise 8.
Order #5515.
Price $18.
No 99A. Melrose Abbey, from
the E.
Condition 9.
Order #5516.
Price $22.
No 103. Abbotsford from the
River.
Condition 8 (light marks in
sky).
Order #5517.
Price $22.
No 104. Sir Walter Scott's
Tomb, Dryburgh Abbey. Excellent!
Condition 8.
Order #5518.
Price $18.
No 104B. Dryburgh Abbey - Tomb
of Sir Walter Scott.
Condition 8.
Order #5519.
Price $15.
No 104B. Dryburgh Abbey - Tomb
of Sir Walter Scott. A (probably later) much better composition.
Condition 9.
Order #5520.
Price $18.
No 107. Edinburgh - From the
Calton Hill.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5521.
Price $18.
No 108. Edinburgh - From Calton
Hill - Old Town. London Stereoscopic blindstamp.
Condition 5.
Order #5522.
Price $8.
No 111. Edinburgh Castle, from
Princes Street Gardens.
Condition 8.
Order #5524.
Price $18.
No 111. Edinburgh Castle, from
Princes Street Gardens. Variant.
Condition 7 (moderate marks
in sky).
Order #5525.
Price $15.
No 113. Burns Monument,
Edinburgh.
Condition 7.
Order #5526.
Price $15.
No 114. Edinburgh - Scott's
Monument.
Condition 8.
Order #5527.
Price $18.
No 114A. Edinburgh - Scott's
Monument.
Condition 8.
Order #5528.
Price $18.
No 114A. Sir Walter Scott's
Monument, Edinburgh. Variant.
Condition 9.
Order #5529.
Price $18.
No 114A. Sir Walter Scott's
Monument, Edinburgh. Further variant.
Condition. Label has been
attached at top right leaving light mark and a small deposit.
Order #5530.
Price $12.
No 114A. Scott's Monument,
Edinburgh. Totally different view.
Condition 8.
Order #5531.
Price $15.
No 118. Edinburgh - Waverly
Bridge and Old Town from Princes Street.
Condition 9.
Order #5532.
Price $18.
No 122. Melrose Abbey, the
South Aisle.
Condition 8/9 (slight damage
to mount top r/h corner).
Order #5533.
Price $18.
The next view is one of only two of the original Loch of Park series that Wilson produced in 1859 when on holiday at this lake near Aberdeen. He managed to produce six views before the sun set but only two survive. He produced a further series in 1860 with improved equipment. The boatman's name was Sandy and members of his family appear in the boat. This is rare. Photographic News described these as '..some of the most remarkable stereograms ever presented to us'.
Carries no label - simply a handwritten title 'Lock of Park, Aberdeenshire'.
Blindstamp is 'Clifford, 30 Piccadilly' (London). Treadwell notes a single
view by C.E. Clifford at this address - he was obviously a retailer.
Condition 8.
Order #5535.
Price $30.
Handwritten 'Loch
of Park, No 128'.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5536.
Price $30.
No 130. Ballater.
Condition 9.
Order #5538.
Price $18.
No 131. Balmoral Castle from
the south. Nice view of lawns being mowed.
Condition. Glue creep on both
images and light.
Order #5539.
Price $6.
No 132. Balmoral Castle, from
the south-west.
Condition 7/8.
Order #5540.
Price $15.
No 133. Balmoral Castle, from
the N.W.
Condition 8.
Order #5541.
Price $18.
No 134. Balmoral Castle, from
the north-west.
Condition 8.
Order #5542.
Price $18.
'Wilson's
use of foregrounds shows his mastery in arranging his pictures within the
frame. Instead of dominating the picture, which they so easily could have
done, the foregrounds are placed so as to create a base, whilst giving
the viewer access to the picture. In his view of the Upper Falls of the
Garr-valt, Braemar, the foreground is taken up by a richly-textured and
well-lit bank of heather. In the stereoscope this resolves itself into
a sweeping diagonal which creates a spatial link with the bridge on the
extreme left while contrasting sharply with the smooth white boulders on
the right. The bank also acts as a counterbalance to the arching span of
the bridge by offering itself in a reverse curve. At the very top of the
frame another foreground of branches hangs down to interrupt what would
have otherwise been a blank sky'.
No 137. Upper Falls of Garrvalt.
Condition 8.
Order #5543.
Price $18.
No 138. Lower Falls on the
Garr-valt, Braemar.
Condition 7.
Order #5544.
Price $15.
No 140. Fall on the Garr-valt,
Braemar.
Condition 7.
Order #5545.
Price $12.
No 140. Fall on the Garr-valt,
Braemar. Later variant.
Condition 8.
Order #5546.
Price $12.
No 142. The Colonel's Bed in
Gley Ey, Braemar (A hiding place during the Rebellion of 1715). Plus four
printed lines referring to a visit to Gley Eye by Queen Victoria.
Condition 8.
Order #5547.
Price $18.
No 144. Linn of Dee, Braemar.
Condition 8.
Order #5548.
Price $15.
No 144. Linn of Dee, Braemar.
Variant with figure in foreground.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5549.
Price $18.
No 144. Linn of Dee, Braemar.
Variant with figure closer.
Condition 8.
Order #5550.
Price $18.
Views
#145 and #145A were, again, very popular. Given the inacessibility of Fingal's
Cave it is possible that Wilson took a number of views on the same visit
- varying the figures posing. Here we offer a selection which are all from
different negs.
No 145. Fingal's Cave, Staffa.
Condition 8.
Order #5551.
Price $18.
No 145. Fingal's Cave, Staffa.
Condition 8.
Order #5552.
Price $18.
No 145A. Fingal's Cave, Staffa.
Condition 7.
Order #5553.
Price $15.
No 145A. Fingal's Cave, looking
in. Although bearing the same number, this is a later and completely
different view to the previous one.
Condition 8.
Order #5555.
Price $18.
No 146. Causeway and bending
pillars, Staffa.
Condition 7.
Order #5556.
Price $15.
'The
guidebooks recommended the Fall of Foyers as "the most magnificent cataract,
out of sight and hearing, in Britain". Wilson's viewpoint coincided exactly
with that recommended by the guide books. It was below the second of the
two falls, looking up, where "you are so blinded by the sharp spray smoke,
and so deafened by the dashing, and clashing, and tumbling and rumbling
thunder, that your condition is far from enviable".'
No 148. The Falls of Foyers,
Inverness-shire. Early small white label.
Condition 8.
Order #5557.
Price $15.
No 149. The Falls of Foyers,
Inverness-shire.
Condition 7.
Order #5558.
Price $12.
'We
went off to Glencoe where we staid (sic) in a vile little carriers'
inn in the Glen for some days, photographing busily and profitably. The
beds in the place did not seem at all clean, being chiefly used by drovers,
and as I had a horror at the bare possibility of catching the itch, I stripped
to the skin before laying down believing that there was more danger in
the attaching to the clothes than to the skin. I had not been asleep for
a couple of hours when I was roused by finding I had more bedfellows than
was agreeable ... Luckily we had ordered a bottle of whisky the night before
but not finding it palatable toddy, it was little used. Getting up, I washed
myself all over with it and turning down the blankets gave the bed a good
sprinkling, and lay down again getting three hours comfortable sleep, when
I repeated the dose with capital effect. The beggers were forced to break
the pledge!'.
No 150. Waterfall in Glencoe.
Small white label.
Condition. Fairly uniform
dark spots on mountains could be as produced. One small circular spot.
Order #5559.
Price $18.
No 152. Waterfall in Glencoe.
Early small white label.
Condition around 6.
Order #5560.
Price $12.
No 153. View in Glencoe.
Condition 8.
Order #5561.
Price $18.
No 154. View in Glencoe.
This was a difficult shot and I have seen versions with varying clarity.
This one is excellent.
Condition 9.
Order #5562.
Price $22.
No 155. Upper Fall on the Foyers,
Inverness-shire.
Condition 9.
Order #5563.
Price $18.
No 160. Mist on Craig Phinian,
Glencoe. Small white label.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5564.
Price $18.
No 165. The Trossachs. Pass
of Beal-ach-nam-bo. Early Wilson small white label with no attribution.
Dated 1861.
Condition 7.
Order #5565.
Price $15.
No 166. Bit on Loch Katrine.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5566.
Price $18.
No 170. The Hermitage Bridge
on the Braan, Dunkeld.
Condition 8/9.
Order #5567.
Price $18.
No 170. The Hermitage Bridge,
Dunkeld. Totally different neg. Dated (probably purchased) 1868.
Condition 8.
Order #5568.
Price $18.
No 173. Upper Fall of Moness,
Aberfeldie. Small white label.
Condition 8.
Order #5569.
Price $18.
No 173. Upper Fall of Moness.
Later version with full label.
Condition 8.
Order #5570.
Price $18.
No 180. Interior of Roslyn
Chapel.
Condition 8 (bad scan).
Order #5572.
Price $18.
No 181. Interior of Roslyn
Chapel.
Condition 8
Order #5573.
Price $22.
No 183. Abbotsford from the
South-East.
Condition 7.
Order #5574.
Price $15.
Handwritten 'Abbotsford
from south east. 183'.
Condition 8.
Order #5575.
Price $18.
No 185A. Princes Street, looking
west (Instantaneous).
Condition 8.
Order #5576.
Price $35.
'It has often been noticed in history that new ideas and developments occur simultaneously yet independently of each other. Unfortunately this was the case with Wilson's Princes Street photographs which coincided with those published by Edward Anthony in New York. Anthony's views of Broadway were sent to Photographic Notes with an accompanying letter explaining how they were taken, and asking "if you have any specimens of similar results obtained in Europe we should be pleased to hear how they compare". The letter was dated 29 August 1859. . . . Unknown to Anthony, Wilson had taken a similar photograph of Princes Street, Edinburgh that summer which was released at about the same time to Anthony's. It was taken from the upper balcony of a building next to the Sun Fire and Life offices looking towards the Calton Hill. One reviewer noted with delight that "it is high noon-day, the pavement is thronged with pedestrians, and the roadway with vehicles in motion". . . . Copies of this first photograph are rare and its scarcity can be attributed to its brief existence in Wilson's negative files. The following year, 1860, he revisited Edinburgh and made a whole new series of instantaneous views of Princes Street from the same position. . . Wilson took yet another series of views between 1863 and 1864 from the identical position of those made in 1860. This has led to inevitable confusion about the dating and identification of these views. To differentiate between the photographs made in 1860 and those made in 1863/64 one should look at the name of the hotel on the extreme left of the picture. In 1860 this was the "Star Hotel", but between 1861 and 1862 it was modernized . . . reopening in 1863 under the new name of the "Edinburgh Hotel"'.
We are pleased to be able to offer three of the early and important views with the Star Hotel on the left. All are from different negs. and are numbers 186, 188 and 190.
No 186. Edinburgh - Princes
Street looking towards the Calton Hill (Instantaneous).
Condition 8.
Order #5577.
Price $120.
No 188. Edinburgh - Princes
Street looking towards the Calton Hill (Instantaneous). London Stereoscopic
blindstamp.
Condition. A deposit on the
right image has caused a large stain.
Order #5578.
Price $25.
No 190. Edinburgh - Princes
Street looking towards Calton Hill (Instantaneous).
Condition 5 (grubby).
Order #5580.
Price $30.
'As
the interiors of some cathedrals are notoriously dark with strongly contrasting
patches of light, Wilson's aim to convey the feeling of space and volume
through the use of light was no easy task. Great technical vituosity and
patience were required.'
No 192.
Westminster Abbey - The Nave. Early small white label.
Condition
8 (minor damage to mount).
Order
#5582.
Price
$18.
No 193.
Westminster Abbey - The Choir. Early small white label.
Condition
8/9.
Order
#5583.
Price
$18.
No 199.
Interior of Henry VII's Chapel, Westminster Abbey - Stalls of the Knights
of Bath.
Condition
6/7 with minor damage to mount.
Order
#5584.
Price
$12.
No 213.
Salisbury Cathedral - The Choir.
Condition
7 (light stain on right image).
Order
#5586.
Price
$15.
No 214.
Salisbury Cathedral - South Aisle.
Condition
8
Order
#5587.
Price
$18.
No 215.
Salisbury Cathedral - The Transept.
Condition
8.
Order
#5588.
Price
$18.
'...
When he reached Southampton Water to photograph The Great Eastern,
the ship was anchored a good distance from the shore in deep water, and
there was no way that she could be photographed except from the beach.
Once again Wilson brings life to the foreground of his pictures; he used
his knowledge of instantaneous photography to capture the motion of a wave
breaking diagonally across the base of the frame.'
No 221.
The Great Eastern in Southampton Water (Instantaneous). Probably
the most famous of Wilson's views.
Condition.
Light stains but this is an excellent version of a view that is sometimes
not particularly sharp.
Order
#5589.
Price
$120.
No 224A.
"Royal Albert" in the Firth of Forth (Instantaneous).
Condition
8.
Order
#5590.
Price
$45.
No 224D.
HMS 'Royal Albert' in the Firth of Forth. (Instantaneous).
Condition
8.
Order
#5591.
Price
$65.
No 227.
The Channel Fleet in the Firth of Forth (Instantaneous). Wilson seems
to have put the label for this over another of his labels.
Condition
7.
Order
#5592.
Price
$55.
No 228.
The Channel Fleet in the Firth of Forth. (Instantaneous).
Condition
around 7 with slight rust marks in sky.
Order
#5593.
Price
$45.
No 230.
The Channel Fleet in the Firth of Forth. (Instantaneous).
Condition.
Mount split thru center slightly affecting the edges of the images.
Order
#5594.
Price
$10.
No 241.
View from Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight. The "Queen Mab". (Instantaneous). Isle
of Wight views are highly collectable.
Condition
7/8.
Order
#5595.
Price
$55.
This is not cut - I promise to get the hang of the new scanner soon!
No 247.
Duntulum Castle - Skye.
Condition
8/9.
Order
#5596.
Price
$28.
Oh look - the bottom of the previous view!!!
No 249.
View from Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight. (Instantaneous).
Condition
around 7 with light marks in sky.
Order
#5597.
Price
$28.
No 251. Loch Coruisk, Skye.
Condition. Unusually for Wilson
this has overall white production faults. Still a stunning view and one
that I have not seen before.
Order #5598.
Price $12.
No 253A. Ben-Nevis above Corpach
- Inverness-shire. Small white label.
Condition. Reasonably distinctive
foxing spots.
Order #5599.
Price $12.
No 258. St. Martin's Cross,
Iona.
Condition 6 (overall moderate
foxing).
Order #5600.
Price $12.
No 263. The Quiraing, Skye.
Having been climbing here I can vouch for this being the most spectacular
scenery in Europe - and I've seen most of that as well.
Condition 8.
Order #5901.
Price $18.
No 264. View from the entrance
to Quiraing, Isle of Skye - The Needle'.
Condition 8.
Order #5902.
Price $18.
No 266. Sligachan, Isle of
Skye.
Condition 8.
Order #5903.
Price $22.
No 268. Scuir-na-Gillean, from
Glen Sligachan, Isle of Skye.
Condition. Obviously struggled
with the mist! Figure in foreground is clear.
Order #5904.
Price $15.
No 272. Glencoe.
Condition 8.
Order #5905.
Price $18.
No 272A. View in Glencoe.
Early small white label.
Condition probably around
6/7. Wilson obviously had cloud trouble here!
Order #5906.
Price $10.
No 275. Middle Falls of the
Bruar - Blair-Athol, Perthshire.
Condition 8.
Order #5907.
Price $15.
No 276. Lower Falls of the
Bruar, Blair Athole.
Condition 9.
Order #5908.
Price $18.
No 276. Lower Falls of the
Bruar, Blair Athole. Totally different and possibly later version.
Condition 9.
Order #5909.
Price $18.
No 292. This version of the
Lock of Park view bears a small white label and carries the printed number
285, which has been amended in ink to 292. From the 1859 batch. Retailer's
stamp for Barrere, Paris.
Condition 7/8.
Order #5910.
Price $25.
TO THE THIRD PAGE OF VIEWS BY GEORGE WASHINGTON WILSON
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