Hi List, and hope you all had a Happy Christmas An early present were three photos, all unidentified, but possibly Grants from Cherry Grove beside Old Spey Bridge, Grantown.. Does anyone know of a James FRASER, photographer, of Grantown on Spey and the years he was in operation? I believe the photo from James Fraser's business may be of my gtgt grandfather William GRANT, born about 1799, died Cherry Grove 1879. He looks to be 75-80 years old in the oval photo on what was a small card. There is writing (looks like blue biro) on the front of the photo saying "Bill Grant" then "Peter" and under that "Father". My William was supposed to have a father Peter, but he also had a son Peter who was well-known to the Australian descendants of the Grants of Cherry Grove because he sent presents and remembered them in his will. So the ambiguous notation written by an unknown person could mean my William either way - either son of Peter or father of Peter - but the photographer dates would be a little more confirmation. The second photo is of a young man taken by J. CRAIGEN Aberdeen. Could be George Grant, a commercial traveller, b.1846 d. 1880. The third is a studio portrait of a young man in what looks like military dress (cap with a long swathe of material from the back, sporran, kilt but it doesn't seem to be tartan) taken by STEVENSON & Co. 109 Bothwell St., Glasgow. The only insignia seems to be a small three pronged crown on the sporran and on the collar. He may be John George Grant b. 1873, died Tientsin, China, in 1917. If anyone could tell me anything about these photographers, particularly their dates of operation, or where to look on the internet, I would be very grateful. Any site where I could try to identify the uniform of the third man would also be helpful. Many thanks, Helen in Australia

Your description sounds like a carte-de-visite, a very popular form of photography at the time your g-g-grandfather would have been in his 70s and 80s. I suggest you Google both "carte-de-visite" and "James Fraser photographer Grantown on Spey" and see what you get. I did a quick search and found a reference at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/FindingAids/darrahindex/scotland.htmto a photograph of a woman in the collection of the Penn State University, but there will be others. Clearly his was a reputable studio, not one of the many fly-by-night photographers who were common in this period. CdV were a very popular way of keeping in touch among relatives who had remained in Britain and those who had emigrated to Australia. Bob Hay at home at www.bobhay.net On Dec 28, 2007 11:08 AM, Helen Ulmann <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi List, and hope you all had a Happy Christmas > An early present were three photos, all unidentified, but possibly Grants > from Cherry Grove beside Old Spey Bridge, Grantown.. > > Does anyone know of a James FRASER, photographer, of Grantown on Spey and > the years he was in operation? > > I believe the photo from James Fraser's business may be of my gtgt > grandfather William GRANT, born about 1799, died Cherry Grove 1879. He > looks to be 75-80 years old in the oval photo on what was a small card. > There is writing (looks like blue biro) on the front of the photo saying > "Bill Grant" then "Peter" and under that "Father". My William was supposed > to have a father Peter, but he also had a son Peter who was well-known to > the Australian descendants of the Grants of Cherry Grove because he sent > presents and remembered them in his will. So the ambiguous notation written > by an unknown person could mean my William either way - either son of Peter > or father of Peter - but the photographer dates would be a little more > confirmation. > > The second photo is of a young man taken by J. CRAIGEN Aberdeen. Could > be George Grant, a commercial traveller, b.1846 d. 1880. > > The third is a studio portrait of a young man in what looks like military > dress (cap with a long swathe of material from the back, sporran, kilt but > it doesn't seem to be tartan) taken by STEVENSON & Co. 109 Bothwell St., > Glasgow. The only insignia seems to be a small three pronged crown on the > sporran and on the collar. He may be John George Grant b. 1873, died > Tientsin, China, in 1917. > > If anyone could tell me anything about these photographers, particularly > their dates of operation, or where to look on the internet, I would be very > grateful. Any site where I could try to identify the uniform of the third > man would also be helpful. > > Many thanks, > Helen in Australia > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > -- Bob Hay at home at www.bobhay.net