Original Vintage Scottish Photo Album, c. 1860s, Tours in Scotland, G.W. Wilson & Co., c. 78 Albumen Prints

An impressive, and substantial photograph album from the firm of G.W. Wilson & Co., a Scottish photographic firm founded by pioneering Scottish photographer George Washington Wilson (1823-1893). Beginning as a portrait photographer, he became photographer to the Royal family in the 1850s, and during the 1860s moved more towards landscape photography. The company was based in Aberdeen and the University of Aberdeen now holds a collection of over 40,000 glass plates negatives of his work.

This album carries a title page with a metallic gold oval within a printed frame border with a nature theme. The album is titled 'Tours in Scotland by G.W. Wilson & Co., Photographers to Her Majesty in Scotland.'

The album comprises original albumen prints mounted onto card pages, with blank guard separators. Prints are typically 170mm x 110mm  (approx 6 3/4 inches x 4 1/2 inches). There are 78 prints in total (including one additional print loosely inserted and hand dated to 1874). We would date the album overall to be principally from the 1860s. The pictures of Edinburgh's Princes Street show no signs of tram tracks. The tram system began in Edinburgh in 1871.

Geographically the photographs cover a considerable number of Scottish locations. These include Edinburgh, Roslyn Chapel, Walter Scott's Abbotsford home, Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso, Jedburgh, Stirling, Dunblane, The Trossachs, Scottish Lochs, Loch Lomond, Glasgow, Alloway, Waterfalls, Oban, Iona, Staffa, Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, Inverness, Dingwall, Skye, Kirkwall, Orkney, Lerwick, Shetland, Aberdeen, Balmoral, Killiecrankie, Dunkeld, Aberfeldy and Loch Leven.

Subject matter is primarily landscapes, city views, monuments, historic buildings and beautiful views.

The photos are housed in a large leatherbound album with chagrin style texture and gilt decoration. Covers are scuffed and worn, but album is soundly bound. With gold dentelles to inner covers. Small Edinburgh Printsellers & Publishers sticker to first pastedown.

Overall photographs are in very good condition with some age toning to edges.

An interesting and attractive collection of Scottish interest period photographs.

Dimensions of album: approximately 315mm high x 254mm wide x 45mm deep.

Weight approximately 2934g unpacked.