... ABERCHIRDER POSTCARDS (1 of 4)

This section of the Library displays a collection of postcards of Aberchirder and around the Parish of Marnoch.

This catalogue of cards is based on Bob Peden’s private collection, together with scans kindly provided by other collectors and sources. This will be a project in progress, where any new items that turn up will be added.

In order to be a complete catalogue of benefit to postcard collectors, some fronts (picture sides) are included which may appear to be duplicated but are from cards either by different publishers or on different versions by the same publishers. This is an area of importance when dealing with the history of cards, their publishers and printers.


Background

The first picture postcards appeared in the 1890s in a number of European countries. Germany was the leader, with a large number of printers using advanced technology to produce millions of very colourful and artistic lithographed cards.

In Britain, postal restrictions meant that continental-size postcards were not produced until 1899, but in the 1900s they became very popular among collectors. Every corner of Britain was covered and the growth of tourism helped to encourage the production of cards showing views and other subjects.

The period from around 1900 to 1918 is called the Golden Age of Postcards, when the illustrations could be in very high quality colour, although monochrome images were also common. After the First World War the majority of cards featured fairly dull sepia or black photographs of varying quality, and the collecting craze never resumed after the war.

Aberchirder and the Parish of Marnoch feature on a considerable number of cards produced mainly by or for local businesses. This collection of images – over 250 postcards - and background information covers what is currently known. All new information and ideas will be welcomed, along with scans or loans of cards not included here – or varieties of copies included here.


Photographs

Local cards were produced by national and local publishers and printed not only in Britain but - in the 1900s - in Germany where better technology and cheaper prices attracted business. The views were provided by both national companies such as Valentine’s and local photographers like William Auchinachie Jr, although in many cases the sources are as yet unknown.

For details of local photographers, click here.

 

Brief Survey of the Postcards

Cards from the period to 1918 account for 59% of the total collection;  1919-45 19%;  post 1945 22%.  This of course illustrates how the years before the First World War were the Golden Age of Postcards.

Of the cards from the period to 1918, almost two-thirds are used; thereafter, around one-third. Of the used cards, those postmarked in the parish account for almost half in all periods.

For the whole period from 1900 to the present, of destinations within Great Britain, roughly half were in North-east Scotland, just under a quarter other places in Scotland and just over a quarter the rest of Britain.  (In the period to 1918 10% of cards were sent overseas, mainly to the USA and South Africa, reflecting the emigration to those countries that took place in the years after 1900. Thereafter, none of the cards has an overseas address.)

 

Two cards by George Geddes and Gardiner – GGED 14 and GARD 01 – were both sent to the same address in “Middlesborough S.B.”, S.B. standing for South Britain, an interesting reversal of the use of N.B. to refer in earlier centuries to Scotland!

Two cards are worthy of mention as having unusual messages. One by Gammie (GAMM 21b) shows an example of reverse writing, while the Holmes card HOLM 10 is the only example of a general comic card in the collection, ‘personalised’ for Aberchirder and bearing references to local personalities.

Eight cards use six views showing premises used by local postcard publishers:

Gammie
            GAMM 10                     Auchinachie shop

Auchinachie
           
AUCH 06                       Temperance Hotel shop                                                            
            AUCH 19                       Post Office – George Geddes, later C S Geddes

Gardiner
           
GARD 01                      Temperance Hotel shop – Gardiner; Photographic Studio sign

Geo Geddes/Grieve
           
GGED 21/GRIE 03         Photographic studio sign

Holmes
           
HOLM 03/05                  Temperance Hotel shop - Peter Grieve

 


Publishers

This collection is arranged as far as possible by around 25 ‘publishers’ in chronological order. This was not an easy task, as some cards give no clues as to their origin, while, if a name is displayed on a card, it may be that of a publisher, printer or retailer. Records of the firms concerned have long since been destroyed, and books on postcard collecting deal only with large national companies. A further difficulty arises from cards with no (or an illegible) postmark.

This list shows publishers of local postcards and the earliest legible postmark date seen so far:

 
1900-1918     1919-1945  
William Gammie, Turriff 

31/12/1902

  E Johnston, Aberchirder 6/10/1919
William Auchinachie Jr, Aberchirder 28/3/1904   W Cockburn, Aberchirder 25/7/1920
Lewis Smith & Sons, Aberdeen 12/7/1904   C S Geddes, Aberchirder 22/7/1919
George Geddes, Aberchirder  28/7/1905   J Valentine, Dundee 1923?
James Mackenzie, Huntly 23/4/1907   Valentines for C S Geddes 1927? 1928?

Alex Gardiner, Aberchirder

25/7/1907   Anonymous 1930s (Postcard British Manufacture) 13/8/1935
S M Gibson, Gateshead 7/8/1907   Anonymous 1930s (Post Card British Made) 2/9/1936
George Milne, Turriff 20/5/1908   J Grant, Rothiemay 17/7/1938
Fewtrell Series 26/10/1908   Valentines for J B Rattray, Aberchirder 1939?
McIntosh's Emporium 23/09/1911      
W Holmes & Co, Glasgow 29/7/1910      
Peter Grieve, Aberchirder  4/8/1910      
Holmes for George Geddes

18/8/1910 (ms)

  1946 to present  
Wildt & Kray 25/9/1917   Anonymous 1950s 7/9/1951

                   

Bodie, Banff 10/7/1956
District View, Leicester ?
J Arthur Dixon, Newport,
I
sle of Wight
(bought by R&A MacKenzie c. 1973)
Whiteholme, Dundee (bought by R&A MacKenzie c. 1979)
Greetings Group (UK) Ltd, Dunstable (published in 1992)
Anonymous 1990s (published c 1998)


 

Printers

In the early days, many British publishers used German printers whose advanced technology and low prices made them an attractive proposition.

However large British firms such as Valentine’s of Dundee, Lilywhite of Halifax and Holmes of Glasgow soon became able to compete. As well as printing and publishing cards under their own names, they also printed cards for local retailers who supplied the photographs.

In some cases local photographers invested in their own photomechanical machines which allowed them to print multiple copies of their cards in-house – Gammie of Turriff being a local example.


THE GOLDEN AGE IN ABERCHIRDER

In the years up to the end of World War One, the inhabitants of, and visitors to, Aberchirder and Marnoch had a choice of at least three outlets from which to buy a huge range of postcards – the Post Office, William Auchinachie’s store and a bookshop opposite the Post Office in Main Street.

The cards originated mainly in photographs taken by William Gammie of Turriff and William Auchinachie Jr and – apart from the former’s Real Photo cards – were printed by national companies. There were also cards published by firms well beyond Aberchirder which would have been on sale locally.


The following sections give brief details about the publishers accompanied by front and rear images of their postcards. 
Galleries can be viewed by single images or slide shows.

Note: In some cases earliest dates may appear out of chronological order as new cards are added to the collection.


William Gammie, Turriff

From the late 19th Century William Gammie had a newsagent’s business in the Union Bank buildings in High Street, Turriff. He set up a photographic studio in 1898 and published many picture postcards of Turriff and the surrounding area. Those known have postmarks dated between 1902 and 1911.

Over the next half century he and his son, also William, took many of the old Turriff photographs which have survived, both in private collections and in the Aberdeenshire Archives. The elder William died in 1958 and his son, who took over the business, died without heirs.

Gammie’s photos were used by other postcard publishers, certainly including George Geddes, some of whose cards are marked ‘G Geddes, Aberchirder/Photo by Gammie, Turriff’.

Others also use the same photographs as appear on Gammie cards, but it is not known whether they had permission or not.

The earlier Gammie cards were collotypes produced by an unknown printer. However his real-photo cards – first advertised in October 1905 - are in a very distinctive style, which suggests he bought his own machine and printed his own cards.

Gammie himself used another photographer’s work on at least one Aberchirder card. The text on the front of GAMM 14 – Aberchirder from South - does not include the usual ‘Gammie, Photo’, and the view was in fact taken by R B Newton of Cullen see Aberchirder Photographers.

For list of Gammie postcards, click here.

Gammie Postcards

 

GAMM_01
Bridge of Marnoch  GAMM_01b
Bridge of Marnoch (back)      GAMM_02
Aberchirder [from Causewayend]  GAMM_02b
Aberchirder [from Causewayend] (back)      GAMM_03
Carnousie House [Turriff]  GAMM_03b
Carnousie House [Turriff] (back)

  GAMM_04
Bridge of Marnoch  GAMM_04b
Bridge of Marnoch (back)      GAMM_05
Auchintoul House, Aberchirder  GAMM_05b
Auchintoul House, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_06
Bridge of Marnoch, Aberchirder  GAMM_06b
Bridge of Marnoch, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_07
Aberchirder, from East  GAMM_07b
Aberchirder, from East (back)      GAMM_08
Kirkton Inverkeithnie, [sic] Turriff  GAMM_08b
Kirkton Inverkeithnie, [sic] Turriff (back)      GAMM_09
Main Street, Aberchirder  GAMM_09b
Main Street, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_10
The Square, Aberchirder  GAMM_10b
The Square, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_11
Kinairdy Castle, Aberchirder  GAMM_11b
Kinairdy Castle, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_12
Ardmellie House, Aberchirder  GAMM_12b
Ardmellie House, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_13
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder  GAMM_13b
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder (back)     GAMM_14
Aberchirder, from South  GAMM_14b
Aberchirder, from South (back)      GAMM_15
Bridge of Auchintoul, Aberchirder  GAMM_15b
Bridge of Auchintoul, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_16
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder  GAMM_16b
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_17
Netherdale, Turriff, from Inverkeithnie [sic]  GAMM_17b
Netherdale, Turriff, from Inverkeithnie [sic] (back)      GAMM_18
Ardmellie House, Aberchirder  GAMM_18b
Ardmellie House, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_19
Aberchirder [from Causewayend]  GAMM_19b
Aberchirder [from Causewayend] (back)      GAMM_20
Deveron, from Bridge of Marnoch  GAMM_20b
Deveron, from Bridge of Marnoch (back)      GAMM_21
Bridge of Marnoch, Aberchirder  GAMM_21b
Bridge of Marnoch, Aberchirder (back)

  GAMM_22
Bridge of Auchintoul, Aberchirder  GAMM_22b
Bridge of Auchintoul, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_23
Main Street, Aberchirder  GAMM_23b
Main Street, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_24
Ardmellie House, Marnoch  GAMM_24b
Ardmellie House, Marnoch (back)

  GAMM_25
Deveron at Netherdale, Turriff  GAMM_25b
Deveron at Netherdale, Turriff (back)      GAMM_26
Inverkeithny Ferry  GAMM_26b
Inverkeithny Ferry (back)      GAMM_27
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder  GAMM_27b
Rose-Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder (back)

 GAMM_28
Inverkeithny Ferry  GAMM_28b
Inverkeithny Ferry (back)      GAMM_29
Aberchirder, from west  GAMM_29b
Aberchirder, from west (back)     GAMM_30
Aberchirder, From South  GAMM_30b
Aberchirder, From South (back)

  GAMM_31
Netherdale House  GAMM_31b
Netherdale House (back)      GAMM_32
Kinairdy Castle, Marnoch  GAMM_32b
Kinairdy Castle, Marnoch (back)      GAMM_33
Marnoch Lodge  GAMM_33b
Marnoch Lodge (back)

  GAMM_34
Netherdale, From Log Wood  GAMM_34b
Netherdale, From Log Wood (back)      GAMM_35
Deveron At Netherdale, Turriff  GAMM_35b
Deveron At Netherdale, Turriff (back)      GAMM_36
The Deveron At Drachlaw  GAMM_36b
The Deveron At Drachlaw (back)

  GAMM_37
Aberchirder From West  GAMM_37b
Aberchirder From West (back)      GAMM_38
Netherdale House, Turriff
  GAMM_38b
Netherdale House, Turriff (back)      GAMM_39
Netherdale House Turriff  GAMM_39b
Netherdale House Turriff (back)

  GAMM_40
Deveron At Netherdale  GAMM_40b
Deveron At Netherdale (back)      GAMM_41
Netherdale, Turriff, from Log Wood  GAMM_41b
Netherdale, Turriff, from Log Wood (back)      GAMM_42
Parish Church, Marnoch  GAMM_42b
Parish Church, Marnoch (back)

  GAMM_43
Auchintoul House, Abirchirder [sic]  GAMM_43b
Auchintoul House, Abirchirder [sic] (back)      GAMM_44
Auchintoul House, Marnoch  GAMM_44b
Auchintoul House, Marnoch (back)      GAMM_45
Parish Church, Marnoch  GAMM_45b
Parish Church, Marnoch (back)

  GAMM_46
Craignetherty, Marnoch  GAMM_46b
Craignetherty, Marnoch (back)      GAMM_47
The Deveron, From Bridge Of Marnoch  GAMM_47b
The Deveron, From Bridge Of Marnoch (back)      GAMM_48
Aberchirder, from east  GAMM_48b
Aberchirder, from east (back)

  GAMM_49
North Lodge, Auchintoul  GAMM_49b
North Lodge, Auchintoul (back)      GAMM_50
Netherdale House  GAMM_50b
Netherdale House (back)      GAMM_51
Aberchirder, from west  GAMM_51b
Aberchirder, from west (back)

GAMM_52
Main Street, Aberchirder  GAMM_52b
Main Street, Aberchirder (back)      GAMM_53
The Deveron, from Bridge of Marnoch  GAMM_53b
The Deveron, from Bridge of Marnoch (back)      GAMM_54
Auchintoul House, Marnoch  GAMM_54b
Auchintoul House, Marnoch (back)

GAMM_55
The Deveron At Auldtoon Netherdale  GAMM_55b
The Deveron At Auldtoon Netherdale (back)

 

William Auchinachie Jr. Aberchirder
 

William Auchinachie Jr (1885-1964) was the eldest son of Aberchirder’s first Provost, William Auchinachie, who had a drapery and general merchant’s business at 8/9 The Square.

The younger William – who himself was to be Provost 1932-1947 -  worked in the family business. He also developed an interest in photography, which he turned to good business use by publishing picture postcards using his own photographs.

Auchinachie employed German printers for his earliest cards which appeared in September 1904 and were advertised as “all collotype prints”. They were produced in Leipzig by C G Roeder in a style very similar to those they printed for LS&S and for George Washington Wilson. (The first George Geddes cards were also printed in Germany, by JRG.)

Auchinachie later published at least one card – commemorating the Proclamation of King George V in 1910 (AUCH 28) - in the same Lilywhite style as two published by Peter Grieve. He also followed the popular trend of turning photographs of local people or events into postcards.

For list of Auchinachie postcards, click here.

Auchinachie Postcards

 

AUCH_01
Parish Church, Marnoch  AUCH_01b
Parish Church, Marnoch (back)      AUCH_02
Inchline, Marnoch  AUCH_02b
Inchline, Marnoch (back)      AUCH_03
Bridge of Marnoch  AUCH_03b
Bridge of Marnoch (back)

 AUCH_04
Mill of Kinnairdy  AUCH_04b
Mill of Kinnairdy (back)      AUCH_05
Aberchirder [from Causewayend]  AUCH_05b
Aberchirder [from Causewayend] (back)      AUCH_06
Aberchirder Main Street, West from Square  AUCH_06b
Aberchirder Main Street, West from Square (back)

 AUCH_07
New Marnoch United Free Church, Aberchirder  AUCH_07b
New Marnoch United Free Church, Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_08
Main Street, Aberchirder, from Huntly Road  AUCH_08b
Main Street, Aberchirder, from Huntly Road (back)       AUCH_09
Public School, Aberchirder  AUCH_09b
Public School, Aberchirder (back)

 AUCH_10
Rose Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder  AUCH_10b
Rose Innes Cottage Hospital, Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_11
Auchintoul Woods (Autumn)  AUCH_11b
Auchintoul Woods (Autumn) (back)      AUCH_12
Auchintoul Woods (Autumn)  AUCH_12b
Auchintoul Woods (Autumn) (back)

 AUCH_13
Crombie Castle  AUCH_13b
Crombie Castle (back)      AUCH_14
West United Free Church, Aberchirder  AUCH_14b
West United Free Church, Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_15
Inchline, Marnoch  AUCH_15b
Inchline, Marnoch (back)

 AUCH_16
Bridge of Marnoch  AUCH_16b
Bridge of Marnoch (back)      AUCH_17
Mill of Kinnairdy  AUCH_17b
Mill of Kinnairdy (back)      AUCH_18
Knockorth Quarries  AUCH_18b
Knockorth Quarries (back)

 AUCH_19
Main Street, Aberchirder  AUCH_19b
Main Street, Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_20
Aberchirder Bowling Green and Tennis Courts (Opening Day)  AUCH_20b
Aberchirder Bowling Green and Tennis Courts (Opening Day) (back)      AUCH_21
Aberchirder Bowling Green and Tennis Courts  AUCH_21b
Aberchirder Bowling Green and Tennis Courts (back)

 AUCH_22
A Peep under the Bridge at Marnoch  AUCH_22b
A Peep under the Bridge at Marnoch (back)      AUCH_23
Marnoch Lodge  AUCH_23b
Marnoch Lodge (back)      AUCH_24
Near Aberchirder [text left]  AUCH_24b
Near Aberchirder [text left] (back)

 AUCH_25
Near Aberchirder [text centre]  AUCH_25b
Near Aberchirder [text centre] (back)      AUCH_26
Aberchirder & Huntly Motor Omnibuses  AUCH_26b
Aberchirder & Huntly Motor Omnibuses (back)      AUCH_27
Aberchirder and Huntly Motor Omnibuses  AUCH_27b
Aberchirder and Huntly Motor Omnibuses (back)

 AUCH_28
The Proclamation of His Majesty King George V at Aberchirder  AUCH_28b
The Proclamation of His Majesty King George V at Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_29
No Title [Dramatic Society cast]  AUCH_29b
No Title [Dramatic Society cast] (back)      AUCH_30
No Title [West UF Church]  AUCH_30b
No Title [West UF Church] (back)

 AUCH_31
No Title [Dramatic Society cast]  AUCH_31b
No Title [Dramatic Society cast] (back)      AUCH_32
No Title [Dramatic Society cast]  AUCH_32b
No Title [Dramatic Society cast] (back)      AUCH_33
Motor Omnibus, near South Lodge, Auchintoul  AUCH_33b
Motor Omnibus, near South Lodge, Auchintoul (back)

AUCH_34
No Title [shops at 6-9 Square]  AUCH_34b
No Title [shops at 6-9 Square] (back)      AUCH_35
Public School, Aberchirder  AUCH_35b
Public School, Aberchirder (back)      AUCH_36
Near Aberchirder text right  AUCH_36b
Near Aberchirder text right (back)

ABERCHIRDER POSTCARDS CONTINUED

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