Memorials of the Old College of Glasgow - publ:1872 Thomas Annan

[bill purvis]

One would not expect to come upon this volume in the antipodes but I was fortunate to have been able to acquire a copy for a very modest price from an antique/second hand book dealer who had no idea what he was selling.

I was drawn immediately to the name of the photographer from my knowledge of photographic history.

A treasure to behold.

From recall I think there were 25 architectural studies and 15 portraits of Professors each signed individually on the mount.

The prints were real carbon prints tipped in as this was published before the advent of mechanical reproduction of photographs. The work was commissioned by Glasgow University prior to the construction of the new university.

The work is now in the collection of nga National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.