Early 20th Century Photographers

The Aberchirder Photographic Studio

Foggie was captured on camera by several local photographers, many of whom between 1900 and 1914 used a photographic studio situated behind the shop at 62 ½, Main Street. Owned by Newton Brothers (1901-02), it was vacant during rebuilding (1903-04), then bought by George Bremner who operated there from 1905 until his death in 1912. The studio then became the property of tailor and clothier John Murray and was used by photographers A Forbes (1913) and John Ritchie Jr for one year only in 1914. Thereafter the building became a store.

Newton Brothers

 In the first twenty years the brothers, Ralph Barnes (R B) and Thomas, had studios in Cullen, Banff, and Buckie. They briefly (1901-1902) owned the Aberchirder studio. Here are three examples of their work:

George Bremner

George Bremner was born in Marnoch parish in 1835.  He was living in Aberchirder in the early 1860s when his son Fred – famous for photographs he took in India 1882-1922 – was born there. Shortly afterwards George moved to Banff, where he ran his studio in Old Market Place. Around 1905 he moved back to Aberchirder and between then and his death in 1912 owned the Aberchirder photographic studio.

John Ritchie Jr

John Ritchie Jr had a photographic studio in Macduff and was also tenant of the Aberchirder photographic studio for one year in 1914. Several of a series of his photographs of the Square dated 7 January 1904 survive.

William Auchinachie Jr

William Auchinachie Jr was the eldest son of Provost William Auchinachie and worked in the family drapery and general merchants business in The Square. He developed an interest in photography and published many of his local views as picture postcards. [Link to Postcards] The 1904 photograph below shows, at the far left, part of the sign advertising Aberchirder’s photographic studio.

These photographs are by (l to r) George Bremner, John Ritchie Jr and William Auchinachie Jr: