Newhaven (Scotland) Fish Girl [CDV]

Kyles & Moir

Notes: A portrait of a Newhaven fish wife, one of the many women who worked in the fishing industry in 19th century Scotland. Men did most of the fishing and women gutted and prepared the fish and hauled the results to market. The fish women of Newhaven, a village north of Edinburgh, were popular subjects for painters and photographers because of their distinctive vertically striped dresses.

This is a typical commercial studio photograph of a woman carrying a wicker basket on her back. Another basket rests on a table with several fish artfully arranged on it.

William Kyles and W. S. Moir operated a joint studio in Portobello, just outside of Edinburgh, from 1877 to 1882, when Kyles left the partnership (per the Edinphoto website).

Occupational carte de visite photograph; image, 2-3/8 by 3-11/16 inches. Thin card mount, 2-1/2 by 3-7/8 inches, with photographer's name at the base of the mount and their logo on the back.

Edition + Condition: A very good image with a bit of spotting to the surface of the image over the background. Good contrast and tonal range. The card may be trimmed slightly along the top edge. Captioned in ink on the front (verso). Ink stamp of W. Weddell at the base of the back (verso) of the mount. Weddell operated a Bible bookstore in Edinburgh and sold prints from many regional photographers.

Publication: Portobello, Edinburgh: Kyles & Moir, (ca. 1880).

Item No: #360847

Price: $60