The Scots: A Photohistory

by Murray Mackinnon, Richard Oram

A selection of Book-of-the-Month Club In the decade after 1839, when Louis Daguerre revealed his photographic process to the world, Scotland became enamored of the new art. Over the next century, Scottish photographers captured a stunning visual record of their land and its people, their mixed fortunes, hopes, and aspirations. Their achievementsnever before collected together so tellinglydocument a century of profound contrasts, of division, upheaval, and change that recast forever the character of Scotland. Here are the triumphs of self-confident Scotlandthe completion of the Forth Bridge and the stream of vessels that slid down the slipways of the Clyde to bind together a far-flung empirebut also its injustices, the story of the urban and rural poor, and the evictions that drove people from the land to seek work in the cities or renewed hope in emigration to the New World. Scotland has always been the country of the "lad o' pairts," the youth from the unpromising, impoverished, often rural background who, with the help of parental self-sacrifice and ambition, personal determination and strength of character, progressesoften as an emigrant to North Americato great things. Gordon Highlanders drinking whisky from enamel buckets in the New Year celebrations of 1890; the caves of Staffa and their associations with the mythical Celtic hero, Finigal; the grandeur of Edinburgh Castle; a portrait of John Logie Baird, Scottish scientist-hero and inventor of the television; the golfers of Scotscraig a mere decade after the beginning of photography; settlers overseas in Colorado; salmon-netting on the River Oykelthis enthralling visual history brings the country to life not only for everyone of Scottish origin, but equally for everyone who has enjoyed the rich character and landscape of this beguiling nation. 236 illustrations in color and duotone.

Genres: Photography, History, Scotland, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 27, 2003

Reviews

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with 'The Irish: A Photohistory', 'The Scots: A Photohistory' is also an excellent annotated pictorial history, a reference book with crisp photography. I was surprised to learn that Scotland had been a destination for some Italian families emigrating during the great migration.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short introduction for each topic and then the photos with only short captions truly tell the story. I learned a lot and enjoyed the fact that unlike my country it wasn’t uncommon to see the locations of these photos still be easily recognizable and hardly changed.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and emotive collection of early photos of Scots and their landscape. Exactly what I'd been hoping to find.

[ei_tc Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic compilation of images.. but I still think it should be renamed 'The Scotch' just to wind 'em up, hahaha.

[Beatles1964 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant compilation of Scottish history.

[Rosa Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful pictorial history with just enough text to balance. I liked the categorisation as well, each section focusing on an aspect yet there was a logical movement throughout. Loved the pics.