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100 years of Scottish life in photographs

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Old tram and fishwives
Tram and fishwives

Policeman on penny farthing
Policeman on penny farthing

A collection of more than 14,000 historic photographs of life in Scotland has been secured for the nation.

The photographs provide a visual record of the daily lives of rich and poor from the 1840s to the 1940s. They also chart developments in Scottish photography from its pioneering days, with examples of some of the finest work of early Scottish photographers.

Established by photography enthusiast Murray MacKinnon, the collection has been in private hands until now. 

Support from the Scottish Government, the Art Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund allowed this exceptional collection to be bought jointly by the National Library of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland. 

Over the next three years the entire collection will be digitised and made available online. Next year the Scottish National Portrait Gallery will host a major exhibition, with touring exhibitions in Scotland to follow.

Read more about the MacKinnon Collection in our photographs section and in the MacKinnon Collection media release.

14 May 2018


 

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