Morgan sports group

Not so humble

“Today’s photograph (see right) was sent in by Dr Frank Zwolinski of Gauldry and shows a sports group at Morgan Academy, Dundee, possibly taken around the 1950s.

“Maybe some readers can identify themselves,” he says. “The teacher is Mr Spencer Gove, who taught English at Morgan from 1949 until 1954. I remember Mr Gove teaching as head of History at Perth High School. He retired from there as Deputy rector.

“A man of many talents, Mr Gove graduated with double honours from St Andrews University and during the war served in the RAF.” “I am always interested in the number of postcards you use in your column giving historical, geographical, and local information,” says Dundee reader James Pirie. “That, in turn, makes me wonder how many different postcards were printed when postcards were more popular than they are today – surely there must have been millions.

“And yet that number must pale into insignificance when compared with the number of modern photographs which are taken now with digital cameras and mobile phones. It has even started a whole new industry with the ‘selfie stick’.

“At last year’s inauguration of President Trump there was a sea of arms holding up phones taking hundreds of photographs just after he was sworn in and at the recent Changing of the Guard in London there were hundreds taking pictures of the royal family and the scene round about.

“It would be interesting to know how many of these photographs would be available in 70 or 80 years’ time like the postcards which are used in your column. Perhaps the humble postcard will outlast them all and is not so humble after all.”