We have inherited a box referred to by my father as “Daguerreotypes”.

They are all old photographs and some have paper slips purporting to name the subject.

The daguerreotype is an early photographic process which uses a silver plated copper sheet. It is sealed between plates of glass to protect it from air. They were expensive portraits and were only made between 1840 - 60. Seven that we have are actual daguerreotypes.

The remainder are of later processes know as Collodion Positive which was cheaper but presented in a similar though less expensive case.

(Daguerreotypes 1842-1854 the remainder 1854 – 1890).

Of the seven daguerreotypes one is clearly Charles Cunningham Scott. He looks 5-10 years younger than the family photo taken in about 1862. So the Daguerreotype was taken about 1850-55.

The Slips of Paper

Some of the photos include a rough slip of paper which give a name. Most have a “?” added, probably when written. This includes the Charles Cunningham Scott daguerreotype.

Nine photos are labelled DUNLOP which implies that HJ (born 1875) inherited them from a DUNLOP. There are two labels marked SCOTT and one marked SHAND.

 First Writer (with “?” against 6 of 9 names).

 Second, pencil = HJ Dunlop (probably some time after 1921)

 Third, pencil just on first writer’s comments so probably HJ.

 Fourth writer added to pencil in blue ink so perhaps CHJ Palmer.

The second writer’s “D” and “b” are that of HJ in his signature and the HJ trees. The pencil “b” is not that of AHJ. The handwriting is not CSM (Myers) DUNLOP.

First Writer was apparently sure of: Harry Dunlop of Craigton, Alexina Dunlop (Mrs Henry Dunlop of Craigton) and Colin Dunlop (married Mina), Second Writer was apparently sure of Marian Scott and Willie Shand.

HJ Trees

There are five HJ Trees. Three are DUNLOP trees; there is a Myers tree that includes BAJ’s marriage to Roberta in 1917; the last (and scruffiest) is a SHAND tree and includes Colin and Peter Shand (born 1916). It mistakenly shows Hinton Shand 1822 - 49 as “died as a child”. It suggests the writer had a close relationship with Shands but was a Dunlop thus it indicates it is HJ. It doesn’t show CHJ(Dunlop) PALMER’s marriage in 1927.

Daguerreotype

Non Daguerreotype

Identifying the Writers

First Writer has mislabelled at least Harry Dunlop of Craigton, James Dunlop, Ian Dunlop son of Mrs Charles Tennant Dunlop and possibly Elizabeth Bruce Dunlop (Aunt Bu) but correctly identified Alexina Dunlop (Mrs Henry Dunlop of Craigton).

The First Writer could be:

Aunt Bu or AJ Dunlop (who left for India by 1874 retiring 1915) but they knew all the subjects well and would be unlikely to make errors..

HJ who knew Elizabeth “Bu” and Mina. But most of the others had died before he reached childhood.

Gran Jean (CHJ (Dunlop) PALMER) but it is unlikely that she would make guesses as she knew none of the subjects personally.

Mina wife of Colin also knew most subjects, though not James 1828 nor Henry of Craigton well.

Second Writer has correctly identified Charles Cunningham Scott of Hawkhill and probably Marion Scott. His other two identifications may therefore be correct: Willie Shand, Colin Dunlop (possibly). He may also be happy with some of the First Writer names.

HJ did not personally know Charles Cunningham Scott, Henry of Craigton nor Alexina (all died before he was born). John Rankin Dunlop had moved to Argyll and James Dunlop was already 50 and so wasn’t in a position to correct these names.

Provenance of the Photos

Whoever collected the early photographs they presumably passed to HJ as a batch. They may have come via Elizabeth “Bu” (AJ’s sister).   She had entrusted her affairs completely to AJ in her Will. All her siblings except AJ had died by the time that she died in 1912 and it can be presumed that the photographs came into AJ’s possession as well. Alexander Rankin Johnston Dunlop (1868) (her Canadian/Borneo nephew) stayed with her until leaving for Borneo in 1885 aged about 17. He must have been relatively close as he had witnessed her Will in 1906. As a child HJ lived with Aunt Bu and was close to Mina.

The photos seem centred on Mina (Craufurd) DUNLOP 1843-1937, widow of Colin Hinton (married: 1863). She may have had the collection and passed it directly to HJ as the Dunlop to whom she was closest late in her life.  She would have met all those named less James Dunlop, not known Henry of Craigton well and not been sure of Ian Dunlop son of Mrs Charles Tennant Dunlop or the Alexander Rankin Dunlop photo.

Identifying some photos

Of the seven Daguerreotypes one is clearly Charles Cunningham Scott, two other photos bear a good resemblance to Alexina from the copied painting. We have no further images of other subjects with which to verify them.

The label Marian Scott must refer to Marion SCOTT 1833–1892 and looks like her in the SCOTT family photo of about 1860. She died when HJ was a young man but was just 10 years older than Mina.

The daguerreotype labelled Aunt Bu seems anachronistic. Either a very late daguerreotype was taken or she looks much older than she actually was, 25 when the last daguerreotypes could reasonably be judged to be being taken.

One photo resembles John SHAND (1821-1868) but also James Henry SCOTT (1845-1912) who married in 1900 Mina Maria Balfour DUNLOP daughter of Colin Hinton Dunlop and Mina (Craufurd). He would be about 40 for the photo (1885). Two other images of him are available.

Another resembles a young Alexander Rankin Johnston DUNLOP (1868 – 1946) who is with his older brother Henry. They stayed with Aunt Bu in about 1885. One later image of him is available.

Willie Shand must refer to William Lamont Shand (1878-1951). He is about 14 in the photo so it would have to be taken about 1892 when HJ was 17. The girl is about 18 and hence the same age as HJ’s sister Alexina who was drowned that year. It doesn’t much resemble the other image that we have of her.

There is a chance that the slips in the Colin Dunlop (married Mina) and Rankin Dunlop got switched at some later date. John Rankin DUNLOP was born in 1836 and would have been 21 when the last Werge daguerreotype was taken. Colin Hinton DUNLOP was too young for it to be him.

The photograph labelled Henry Dunlop (with his wife) is not of him. We have images of a number of individuals of couples which eliminates a number of them.

As we have portraits of a number of individuals we can eliminate them as candidates. A tree of portraits is here. There possible location on a family tree is here.