johnstone collection

[neelie]

i visited the local library where the collection was on display and intended to go back to buy one of them. i never got round to it in time. can anyone tell me how to go about getting one of these pictures now.

[Mosser]

i visited the local library where the collection was on display and intended to go back to buy one of them. i never got round to it in time. can anyone tell me how to go about getting one of these pictures now.

Visit Wick Heritage Museum, they will have all the images and information

[ciderally]

i visited the local library where the collection was on display and intended to go back to buy one of them. i never got round to it in time. can anyone tell me how to go about getting one of these pictures now.
was informed that the collection is going onshow in the new heritage place in thurso come september

[George Brims]

Does anyone know how well the collection is catalogued? Like many Caithness families, there are probably pictures of many of mine somewhere in there. I'm assuming all the studio portrait stuff is included in the collection that was made public. I would love to be able to get prints of some of those.

[Margaret M.]

Does anyone know how well the collection is catalogued? Like many Caithness families, there are probably pictures of many of mine somewhere in there. I'm assuming all the studio portrait stuff is included in the collection that was made public. I would love to be able to get prints of some of those.


George, studio portraits were not included in the exhibition I saw in the library.

"The exhibition features many iconic images of Wick Harbour and the herring fishing from the early days of sail through to the steam drifter era. Fishermen and fisher lasses can be seen hard at work as well as their barefoot children playing in car free streets. At the other end of the social scale groups of cricketers, tennis players and cyclists pose at their leisure.

Outside Wick a range of images from around the county and Thurso illustrate aspects of country life as well as activities such as the flagstone industry. A storyboard describes the Johnston family history from earliest days plumbing in Wick through to the last Johnson photographer who still lives in Wick and will be one hundred years old later this year. The contribution of the Gaelic speaking community to the Wick fishery is recognised in a special storyboard presented in English and Gaelic."

[George Brims]

Oh I am not surprised the family portraits aren't in the exhibition. I just wondered if it would be possible to track them down in the archive.

[Aaldtimer]

Oh I am not surprised the family portraits aren't in the exhibition. I just wondered if it would be possible to track them down in the archive.

George B, this link should take you to the Collection categories, including Portraits:-
http://www.wickheritage.org/johnston-gallery.asp# :)

Hope this helps.

[achingale]

I think it is fantastic that the Johnstones did this for our area. How many of us today go out and take street scenes for posterity? Or photographs of shipping at the harbour etc? It is time to brush off that old camera and see the county through a lens again.:)

[Mosser]

Oh I am not surprised the family portraits aren't in the exhibition. I just wondered if it would be possible to track them down in the archive.

George the Wick Society will soon be undertaking the digitisation of all 50k negatives including all the portraiture and eventually all will be able to be accessed over the web, this will take a wee while so we will have to be patient

[The Oracle]

George the Wick Society will soon be undertaking the digitisation of all 50k negatives including all the portraiture and eventually all will be able to be accessed over the web, this will take a wee while so we will have to be patient

From the few images I have seen, the Johnstone Collection must be one of the most important collections in Caithness, if not Scotland.

When digitised and made more widely accessible, possibly online, that recognition will surely follow.

I understand that a number of the negatives have been damaged over time, however the opportunity will exist to restore these images to their original condition.

Whilst I understand the point of view that they should be left 'as is', digitisation will allow both restored and untouched images to co-exist.

I personally believe that restoring the images to what the photographer originally created will have more widespread appeal...but I could be wrong.

[Moira]

I think it is fantastic that the Johnstones did this for our area. How many of us today go out and take street scenes for posterity? Or photographs of shipping at the harbour etc? It is time to brush off that old camera and see the county through a lens again.:)

I wouldn't have actually thought of snapping random local street scenes for posterity so you may have a point. Then again, I am not a professional photographer. Does anyone here know if professional photography was the only or main source of interest/income for the Johnstone family?

All credit to the contributors on the Photography forum on Caithness.org however. Well worth checking out if you haven't done so already. I've contributed to this forum in the past but mine were just snaps taken with an "idiot-proof" digital camera.l

All kudos too to Bill Fernie & Kevin Milkins, to name but two of our number, who give up their own free time to capture on film what we otherwise may have missed. :D

[Mosser]

[quote=Moira;591340]I wouldn't have actually thought of snapping random local street scenes for posterity so you may have a point. Then again, I am not a professional photographer. Does anyone here know if professional photography was the only or main source of interest/income for the Johnstone family?

Yes Moira, photography was their only income from 1863 to 1976 for the three generations and four photographers although the father of the first Johnston photographer was a plumber! They were also skilled artists.

[Moira]

Thanks Mosser. I just knew someone here would have the answer.