Portobello Online: New gallery feature

[Bob Jefferson]

Over at the mothership, , we have just introduced a new gallery feature. This replaces the one we have been experimenting with over the last few weeks. There are still one or two refinements to be made but it's up and running and I have already added several galleries.

It's difficult to know where to start with wangi's photography as he has so many good shots and then of course there is the ongoing postcard collection so there is plenty to keep me out of mischief for a long time to come. Keep checking for new additions.

The latest edition of the Reporter is up now as well along with the usual CC minutes, Maureen's reports, What's On etc.

[Bob Jefferson]

A total of 16 galleries have so far been added to the new gallery feature on .

I have been concentrating recently on moving over Margeorie Mekie's postcards. There are currently 347 on view. I plan to complete the addition of captions and tags for the postcards before commencing on the next round of scanning, by which time the iMac should have arrived and I can stop peering into a laptop - not ideal for editing photos.

Tagging allows users to search for postcards on a particular theme. Give it a go but remember it's still a work in progress.

I have an agreement with Peter Stubbs that allows us to use each others photos on our respective sites (with third party agreement where required) so you can look forward to lots of new additions for a long time to come.

[Bob Jefferson]

I have started to put together a new gallery featuring artwork by Portobello High School students at:

http://porty.org.uk/gallery4/thumbnails.php?album=26



Lewis Harrold 2006

Look out for more of their work soon and hopefully some examples of video from PHS Media students.

[Bob Jefferson]

Still working on Margeorie's postcard collection. Recently I have added 29 postcards featuring the Marine Gardens, which may be of interest to those of you who are following rathbone's writings on this subject based on his research of the Scotsman archive. The next batch are of the Outdoor Pool.

Look out also for a large collection of archive photographs from Scotsman Publications, many not seen since they were first published, that I will be adding to the gallery soon. There will be an opportunity to purchase prints for those interested.

[GRANTY]

Some of the artwork from the High School pupils is pretty good. Nice to see the local talent on show.

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

To date, a total of 438 postcards have been added to the Gallery at Portobello Online, including this one:



There are still around 150 new images to add from the album I'm currently working on and I'm frightened to ask how many albums remain. I spent about 30 minutes editing one particular postcard earlier today, meticulously removing every speck of dust (most of which only I can see), before I realised that at this rate I would be 137 years old before I completed this project.

What's happening outside? Is it winter yet?

[Bob Jefferson]

Five hundred now and I'm starting to warm to the task. Picking up editing techniques as I go, by the time I'm finished I may know what I'm doing.

You can currently search the gallery on the following terms:

abercorn_terrace | argyle_crescent | armorial_arms | bath_street | beach | boats | brighton | brunstane_bridge | brunstane_road | business_cards | churches | coade | donkeys | eastfield | election | esplanade | golf | hamilton_lodge | harry_lauder | high_street | hovercraft | james_street | john_street | joppa | joppa_road | joppa_rocks | kings_road | marine_gardens | melville_street | morton_street | multi_image | novelty | ormelie_terrace | outdoor_pool | paddling_pool | parks | pier | pittville_street | police_station | post_office | power_station | promenade | queens_bay | rosefield | salt_pans | schools | seaview_terrace | tartan | toddlers | town_hall | trains | trams | verse

To view the most recent additions to a gallery, simply order the images by Date -

[Bob Jefferson]

Another album completed! The postcard count now stands at 579 bringing the total number of images on the gallery to 989. The most recent additions are postcards of the outdoor pool and there are now 73 images in this category alone.

I'm now taking a break from the postcards to concentrate on my own family history. As this entails scanning and editing dozens of family photos it's a bit of a busman's holiday but at least it's a change of subject. I believe one of my ancestors was on board the Titanic and I'm sure there will be a few more stories to uncover.

[Bob Jefferson]

This is one of 13 new images I have added to the Portobello High School gallery. View all 76 images in this set at:

http://porty.org.uk/gallery4/thumbnails.php?album=26



Caitlin Crighton – S3
Old Parish Church

[Bob Jefferson]

Yeah, I know what I said but it was just too tempting. The next batch is mostly of the 'novelty' type but includes one or two surprises.

This card is one I hadn't seen before of Brighton Park. 1970s perhaps? Anyone recall the green wooden hut?



While this card, sent from 16 Brighton Place in 1904, is a delightful find for the current owners. Who is the distinguished gentleman pictured? We aim to find out - watch this space.

[SoupDragon]

[arachnid]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Izzie]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Izzie]

[Epykat]

[arachnid]

[Bob Jefferson]

Most of the images in Margeorie Mekie's collection are of course postcards. However, there are many other items of interest including several 'cartes de visite' and cabinet prints produced by local photographers such as Kyles, Moir, Halkett and Bashford.

View the latest additions at:

http://porty.org.uk/gallery4/thumbnails.php?album=18

Remember to click on DATE- to order by date added (most recent first) or use the search facility to find the images that interest you.

[Bob Jefferson]

I have just added 13 new images to the Portobello High School gallery to take the total to 89. These are paintings from the 2007 PHS calendar and all feature scenes from Portobello or Duddingston Village. Enjoy!

[Bob Jefferson]

I added another batch of postcards to the gallery over the weekend, mostly of the 'novelty' type. There are now 669 postcards available to view, while the total number of images in the gallery stands at 1109.

[Bob Jefferson]

I picked up another couple of boxes of Portobello postcards today. Lots of beach and promenade scenes and one or two other interesting curiosities, including this out of focus photograph from the late 70s of the row of houses that stood in front of the Bath Street Lane cottages. They were derelict by this point and were later demolished.

My wife remembers, as a young child, playing with her friend, George-Paul in the house on the left. His mother was an actress named Bonnie Beach and his father was an actor who had a part in an early STV soap opera called 'High Living', set in a towerblock in Glasgow.

George-Paul moved with his mum to America and became a New York cop.

edit - factual correction

[ecm]

[Bob Jefferson]

[ecm]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

The Postcard Gallery now contains 800 images, the most recent additions being postcards of the pier and Marlborough Mansions. Still a few months work ahead of me but the end is in sight!



I am keen to establish online galleries for local artists and you can look forward to the first of these tomorrow - a selection of water colours by Evi Carmichael.

[Bob Jefferson]

[Bob Jefferson]

You might like to know that Evi's work is featured in the Annual Exhibition at the Candlish Hall on the first floor of St George's West Church in Shandwick Place from Saturday 29 March to Saturday 5 April.

Open 10:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday - Saturday. Closes 5 pm Wed 2 and Sat 5 April. Admission free.

[Bob Jefferson]

The next Portobello artist to be featured in the Gallery is Martin Fowler, whose work can be viewed at:

http://porty.org.uk/gallery4/thumbnails.php?album=31

[Bob Jefferson]

The idea of an artist's gallery really seems to be taking off.

Coming soon....

Galleries from local artists Mike Kinane, Allan Pendreigh and Lindsay McCrae.

A retrospective gallery of work by the late Ken Lochhead

Further suggestions welcome.

[GRANTY]

The latest gallery from Martin Fowler is just amazing eh? Great talent out there.

[Bob Jefferson]

Absolutely. And speaking of talent, I have finally got round to adding a Lee Kindness gallery. In the end, I just selected 16 of my own personal favourites and linked them back to their respective galleries.

http://porty.org.uk/gallery4/thumbnails.php?album=33