Paterson's Photographic Co., (344,) 346 Sauchiehall St., 1882 - 1897

This dignified cabinet portrait is dated by the interesting text on the back to 1882, and shows a design which follows from that used at Paterson's earlier address.

The first cdv above would seem to precede the cabinet card above on the basis of the exposure number. It is on a card supplied by 'George Mason & Co., Glasgow'. The second cdv, numbered 5702 but not on a Mason card, is marked on the front as a 'proof'. It would be a year or two later.

The two cdvs below, again on Mason cards but now without the 'Glasgow', have both addresses, a changed layout front and back, and a notable increase in the print thickness. This was probably a version of the chromotype process, which yielded more permanent and denser image, but had a tendency for the emulsion to curl away from the substrate. These are difficult to date precisely. but the more sophisticated representation of the name on the front suggest they are later, late 1880s or early 1890s.

The two cdvs below share the same design details, but show a different works address from those above. The date of the change is not known. The print on the first is again thick, but on the second is reduced to 0.003", similar to the first ones above.

The cabinet card below, is 'Manufd for J. J. Atkinson, at Berlin' (small print at bottom), and of a similar design to one of the cards from Paterson's Studio in the section below, so probably comes from the mid 1890s.

The above images courtesy of Susan Breakenridge.

The cabinet card below is similar in style to the one above, and being a gloss cream colour with gold lettering and edges, and exhibiting the exaggerated sleeves of the 1890s, would seem to be about the same date. The card is blank on the back apart from the curious hand written number 711½. It is strange that there are no records of Paterson in business between 1897 and 1905. Whether this reflects the true situation, or whether there are records missing is not known.

The unusual card alongside bears the same design of lettering, but is a non-standard size, 11.3 x 5.0 cms, and could well come from the 'missing' period just after 1900. The back is blank, but with a lightly textured diagonal pattern.