I also provide expertise on business management and professional presentations as a Royal Society of Edinburgh Mentor to Enterprise Fellows.
Book - Destination St Kilda
Available to order from The Islands Book Trust.
It includes 67 rarely seen original Magic Lantern hand coloured glass slides from the 1880's depicting scenes from Oban to St Kilda and has a retail price of £19.99.
In 1885 Aberdeen photographers George Washington Wilson and Norman Macleod set out to travel through the Western Isles to St Kilda. They took many photographs along the way and their collection of pictures, ‘From Oban to Skye and the Outer Hebrides’ were shown in magic lantern lectures throughout Scotland.
The images and text in my new book come from this double set of lantern slides which was produced in the late 1880's. Individually hand coloured onto the glass plates, these images capture the Western Isles and their way of life in evocative details. Published here for the first time as a complete set, many of the images, particularly of St Kilda and its inhabitants are iconic, well known among enthusiasts of Western Isles history. However, these contemporary hand coloured slides are rarely seen and present a new light on life in the Western Isles, produced fifty years before colour photography came to Scotland.
There is also a short history of the George Washington Wilson Company and a history of the Magic Lantern.
300 x 210mm | 80pp | 67 colour and B& W illustrations
ISBN : 978-1-907443-03-9
Lectures
I offer a wide range of Contemporary Astronomical and Victorian Photography lectures, suitable for all audiences. The Victorian lectures feature and original 19th century projector and slides.
Full details are available. More...
Writing
I have written one book and many articles on a wide range of subjects related to the History of Astronomy and Victorian Photography.
I contribute regularly to several Journals and Publications. See a list of recent titles. More...
Astronomical Lantern Slides
These important slides from the 18th and 19th centuries were the basis of popular lectures and often feature stunning images.
Research is ongoing. Read details of their history and how they were used. More...