I’ve got a few previously unseen, old Blantyre photos to show this week, before we continue on our journey exploring stories from 1900-1905. The photos are also from that era, that timeline having been a focus for Blantyre Project these last few months.

This photo from around 1900 is thought to be taken in Blantyre and I think is one of the photographer’s children. The photographer is David Ritchie, a joiner and perhaps he actually made this high chair, which looks to have a mechanism to recline or alter the height. It is known he was accomplished at working with wood. The chair certainly looks new, and what better way to show it off that to photograph with his own child. At the time David lived in the School Lane area of High Blantyre.

The clarity of the photo, considering its over 120 years old is remarkable, zooming in on the features of the curious child so intently looking at the camera.