[Views of Rosneath : a family holiday album of 24 views and portraits]
W. C. B.
[Scotland,
1868?]
This album is devoted to the Firth of Clyde area. The main subject of it is the village of Rosneath on the wester shore of Gare Loch, Argyll & Bute. In 1858 the railway had reached Helensburgh on the opposite shore of the loch, so a place like Rosneath would have become far more accessible to visitors from Glasgow . There are 24 albumen print photographs in this album which show a well-to-do family enjoying the delights of the area, entertaining each other with costume parties and sailing on the loch.
The identity of the photographer(s) is unknown. There is an inscription on the front free endpaper "To Miss Hewitt from W.C.B. Xmas 1868"; it has been suggested that the compiler may be one W.C. Barnes, but more research will be needed to establish further details.
Bound in Mauchlineware sycamore-wood binding, specially made for the album. Photographs only began to feature on Mauchlineware from the middle of the 1860s onwards, so this is one of the earliest examples, with a photograph of a boat on the front cover and a title, "Views of Rosneath," and family monogram inked on the back cover.