Predates buildings

“Thank you for the evocative maritime photos in the recent Traces Through Time feature,” emails Matt Ylitalo of St Andrews University.

“However, I paused when I saw the photo listed as ‘Victoria Dock, Dundee’. It actually features Earl Grey Dock. You can see the Frigate Unicorn with its roofed top anchored in the bottom-left portion of the dock. To its right are the public baths.

“The long building just across Dock Street from the top-right portion of the

Dock is Caird Hall. The barely visible dark line on the edge of the photo at the top-right corner of Earl Grey is the left end of the Victoria Arch. Earl Grey was filled with rubble when preparations for the Tay Road Bridge began in 1963.

“Helpfully, the Frigate Unicorn website has a similar photo from 1935 which confirms many of these features. HMS Unicorn easily predates most of the buildings in the city centre, and had already been in Dundee for 50 years when the Caird Hall was opened.

“As for the date of the photo, it likely fits between 1946 and 1962. The clue for my earliest date lies in comparing the 1935 photograph on the Unicorn website to the paper’s published photo.

“The building at the extreme bottom left on the Unicorn website has ‘R. Batchelor, Potato Merchant’ painted on it. The Courier photo does not. In 1945, Robert Batchelor died, and on 16 April 1946, The Courier reported that the Craig Harbour property was transferred to David T. Smith.

“As for the latest date of 1962, that’s when the Frigate Unicorn moved from

Earl Grey to Victoria Dock. I’m sure this could be further refined by identifying some of the other vessels in Earl Grey Dock. None match the paddle steamer B. L. Nairn, but perhaps some other enthusiasts can help with that.” which must have proved good training for his future career.

The only information the reader who sent in this picture can provide is that it was taken on February 5 1954. There is a note on the back – “Not Carnoustie Musical Society as far as we know.” So who was it?

As Wilfred Pickles has been featuring in the column recently, Jim Howie thought that readers might be interested in this picture.