Photography festival shines light on pioneer

Works have been donated to university’s special collections

A pioneering Scottish photographer is in focus at St Andrews Photography Festival which opens today in venues across the town.

The George Washington Wilson Photographic Collection, donated to St Andrews University’s special collections, consists of around 12,000 images and items, including a rare portrait portfolio.

It will be housed beside other historic Scottish collections held by the university, including J Valentine & Sons.

James Valentine and George Washington Wilson, Queen Victoria’s Royal Deeside photographer, have often been compared by photographic historians, but two large collections housed in the same institution will give researchers the opportunity to study them together.

The Wilson Collection has been donated by private collector David Jamieson, who has accumulated nearly 10,000 images and memorabilia.

Mr Jamieson said he wanted the collection to be kept intact and believed that it will complement the existing photographic collection.

“I hope that the collection will be a valuable asset for future research in Scottish photography,” he added.

Photographic collections manager Rachel Nordstrom added: “Acquiring a vast collection by such a prominent and well-known early Scottish photographer as George Washington Wilson helps us tell a more complete story of photography in Scotland.

“So often these sorts of collections are broken up and sold on by auction sites and dealers so it is a special gift to be given such a large collection brought together by one passionate collector.”

A portrait of Sir David Brewster by Lord Kinnaird, William Fox George dated 1855-1870 which is on display.