The Orkney Image Library
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This is an earlier view looking back up the street than picture #1294. Comparing the pictures, the building immediately above the ghostly figure on the left has been removed, corresponding to where Lucano's is today.
Picture added on 21 May 2012 at 22:13
Thanks for putting this on the site for me Steven. You left me to fill in some details. Well on the right hand side we start with Croys as agents for Dyers in Perth; then comes Johnstone the coal merchant with the young men lounging against the building at the entrance to yet another close which has disappeared but remnants were still there in the 50's; Johnstone's was where Strang the famous engraver was born in the 18th century The archway between Johnstone's and the Royal Hotel led into Richan's Close. This is the archway which has led to some interest recently. Just where the adults and children are was the old post office before it moved to Broad Street in 1887. Many of us knew it as Tommy Muir's painters. More to come. Time out.
Added by David Partner on 26 May 2012
David...is there any indication on the original who took this picture? Just interested to know.
Added by Peter Burges on 30 May 2012
No Peter I can't say who the photographer was without unframing it and even then it may not give a name. I bought it from We Frame It when they were in Nicol Spence's. I think it came from a collection in Leonards' store in Bridge St. Wynd.
Now for more on the picture. The "Eunson" on the corner of what is Scott's shoe shop was Wm Strang Eunson who came from the Fair Isle and had a grocer's shop there.The next shop coming south was where Zena Bain's mother had her shop. There was a close between it and Eunson's shop. The next
building was Murray's Great Lodging knocked down in 1900. Its vacant site was eventually where Willie Sutherland built his chemist shop. This was the site where legend has it the Salvation Army played on Sundays.A visitor coming past wanted to hurry on by because it was just like "Whitechapel" in London where the SA had a citadel. So the nickname passed down through the century until it is now used as an official name. The next building with white area on the wall was where Davie Walls had his shop. Then comes Walls' Close (Pointons in the 19th Century) and then the shop most of us knew as Notman's. And that I think just about covers that part of Victoria Street's 19th / 20th Centuries' history.
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Now for more on the picture. The "Eunson" on the corner of what is Scott's shoe shop was Wm Strang Eunson who came from the Fair Isle and had a grocer's shop there.The next shop coming south was where Zena Bain's mother had her shop. There was a close between it and Eunson's shop. The next
building was Murray's Great Lodging knocked down in 1900. Its vacant site was eventually where Willie Sutherland built his chemist shop. This was the site where legend has it the Salvation Army played on Sundays.A visitor coming past wanted to hurry on by because it was just like "Whitechapel" in London where the SA had a citadel. So the nickname passed down through the century until it is now used as an official name. The next building with white area on the wall was where Davie Walls had his shop. Then comes Walls' Close (Pointons in the 19th Century) and then the shop most of us knew as Notman's. And that I think just about covers that part of Victoria Street's 19th / 20th Centuries' history.
Added by David Partner on 31 May 2012
Kirkwall
