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Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

Photographic collections

A black and white photograph of a man and a woman cycling a tandem bike on a country road. The bike is fitted with a small sidecar which has 3 children seated inside. The woman and one of the children are waving at the photographer.
from the Gordon Shennan Collection

The photographic collections in the care of Inverness Museum and Art Gallery number around 200,000 negatives, slides and printed photographs.  Some have come into our care via the Highland Photographic Archive, some were donated or bequeathed as collections, often created and curated by important local photographers and collectors.  The major collections are listed below with further information.  

The photographic collections cover a wide range of subjects, from village communities to the changing townscape of Inverness, wild landscapes to new industries, portraits to social events, from across the Highland region.  Many images from the photographic collections can be found on the Am Baile website.  Selections from the photographic collections are sometimes displayed in our Photography Corner at IMAG.

Images from the photographic collections are available to purchase as printed or digital copies, or for commercial use subject to licencing agreements and fees.  To find out more, or to request access to view the photographic collections, please email us.

A black and white photograph showing a view down Union Street in Inverness in 1897. The street is busy with people including families. Above, stings of bunting and flags are hung across the street to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

Joseph Cook Collection

Lantern slides collected by Inverness historian Joseph Cook

A black and white photo of a long, low building with stone walls, small windows and thatched roof. A rugged hill rises from behind the building. A lone female figure stands in front of the building, looking away to the left.

MEM Donaldson Collection

Landscape photographs by Margaret Ethel Muir Donaldson, from 1900s to 1958

A black and white photograph of a shop front. There is a central glass-panel door and two large windows either side with displays of cameras and photographs. The shop sign above says Photo-Cine Service and the name Nairn's appears on the door and on the walls either side of the windows.

Jimmy Nairn Collection

Photographs of the Inverness area by Jimmy Nairn, c.1950s to 1960s

A black and white photograph featuring three children heading down a rough road. The girl on the left wears a dark dress and hat and is carrying a large bushel of bracken on her back. The small boy in the middle wears shorts with long socks, a jacket and cap. He is carrying a very long stick over one shoulder. The girl on the right is wearing a jacket over her dress and a pale hat. She is carrying a scythe in one hand and a drawstring bag in the other. All three have stopped to look at the photographer.

Gordon Shennan Collection

Photographs of families and landscapes by Gordon Shennan, c.1924 to 1965

A black and white photograph of a family of five people (mother, father and three sons) standing in front of a pair of wooden doors. Two of the boys are holding quaich trophies and one boy is holding a set of bagpipes. All of them are smiling at the photographer.

Jimmy Thompson Collection

Photographs of Inverness by journalist Jimmy Thompson, c.1980s to 1990s

A black and white photograph of an Edwardian couple against a plain backdrop, shown from the waist up. The lady, on the left, wears a white blouse with a frilled collar and her hair is pinned up. The gentleman, on the right wears a suit, shirt and tie, and has a waxed moustache. Both are wearing flower corsages on their clothes. The photo is faded towards the bottom.

David Whyte Collection

Portraits and townscapes by the David Whyte Studio, c.1880s to 1970s

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