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9 June 1843
 
Mr D.O.Hill presents his respectful compliments to the Revd Dr Gordon and requests that he will favor him by giving him a sitting for his portrait with a view to its being made use of in Mr Hills prospective Historical Picture of “The First General Assembly of the Free Protesting Church of Scotland” – a work undertaken with the sanction and approval of the Reverend Moderator and a number of the leading members of assembly, and friends of the Church. The preliminary studies of the portraits for this work will in the first instance be made by the use of the Daguerreotype and Calotype – and as Mr Hill has made the necessary arrangements with Mr Adamson a gentleman recommended to him by Sir David Brewster as an adept in the latter process, he requests that Dr Gordon will consent to meet him at Mr Adamson’s house – Calton Stairs (at the top of the first flight of steps leading to the Hill from Waterloo Place) on Saturday the 10th Instant between the hours of 10 A M and 2 P.M. or on the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday following at the same time. The sitter is detained only a very short time – the whole process being affected in a few minutes. Should none of these days suit Dr Gordon’s convenience, Mr Hill will make it his business to attend any other day and hour he may appoint.^[3]

The subject is one full of interest to every one who can admire heroic self-abnegation in the assertion of principle, and to Scotchmen will possess in especial value as an illustration of national character, whatever their especial views on the question at issue. It is a picture commemorative of the Disruption in the Church of Scotland in 1843. The subject is the "Signing of the Deed of Demission," painted by Mr. D. O. Hill, Secretary to the Royal Scottish Academy, a gentleman whoso name has been many years associated with a deep interest in the art capacity of photography, and with some of the most artistic calotype portraits ever produced. The picture contains nearly five hundred portraits of ministers of the Scotch Church, who gave up livings, manses, glebes in short, all the temporalities which their connection with the Church gave them in the assertion of liberty of conscience.^[4]

In searching for facts alone, in illustration of prophecies, it has uniformly been the Author's endeavour to adduce the most unexceptionable and conclusive evidence; and hence unbelievers, condemned out of their own mouths, have in general been the leading witnesses. As soon as photography began to take its place among the wonderful arts or inventions of the present day, he anticipated a mode of demonstration that could neither be questioned nor surpassed; as, without the need of any testimony, or the aid of either pen or pencil, the rays of the sun would thus depict what the prophets saw. With this intent, on his first visit to the East, he took with him some calotype paper, &c., the mode of preparing which was then secret; but on reaching Syria it was wholly useless. Then engaged in another object, he passed within an hour of Ashkelon and another of Tyre, without seeing either. A second visit to Syria, accompanied by one of his sons, Dr G. S. Keith, Edinburgh, by whom the daguerreotype views were taken, enables him now to adduce such proof; and has led besides to such an enlargement of the evidence from manifold additional facts, as he fain hopes may impart that lesson to others with which his own mind has been impressed, a still deeper conviction of the defined precision of the sure word of prophecy.^[6]

Scene of the return of the ark from captivity with the Philistines
The scene of the attack on the Philistine camp by Jonathan and his armour-bearer
Mount Moriah
The site of Solomon's temple
Elisha's fountain at Jericho
Bethlehem
Presentation in the temple
Baptism in Jordan
Cana of Galilee
Bethany
The way of the cross
The holy Sepulchre

The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund have opened the Dudley Gallery, Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, for an exhibition of great interest, which may form the nucleus of the desired Biblical Museum.
…
The centre piece of the Gallery is a large Ordnance Survey Plan of Jerusalem and its environs, telling very forcibly to the eye the nature of the country, with its well-known historic hills and sacred sites. The walls of the Gallery are hung with nearly 350 admirable photographic views of scenes in Palestine and Syria, taken by Sergeant Phillips under the orders of Captain Wilson and Lieutenant Warren. These pictures are a study in themselves. After looking at them we seem to be familiar with landscapes, now desolate and ruin bestrewn, once so rich and fertile, "with milk and honey blest," that land, "Over whose acres trod those blessed feet."^[9]

Lastly we must mention the valuable services rendered to science by the society of the 'Palestine Exploration Fund', whose labours have extended over nearly ten years, but which unfortunately has not received pecuniary support commensurate with the importance of its objects. (Subscriptions are received by the Secretary, Walter Besant, Esq., 9 Pall Mall East, London.) The object of the society is the 'accurate and systematic exploration of the topography, geology, natural history, and ethnology of the Holy Land, particularly with a view to the interpretation of the Bible'. The society publishes ' Quarterly Statements', sent gratis to every subscriber, the substance of which down to the end of 1872 is comprised in two very interesting works. The larger of these is the 'Recovery of Jerusalem' by Major Wilson and Capt. Warren, edited by W. Morrison (London, 1871), and the smaller, which is to a great extent abridged from the other, 'Our Work in Palestine' (London, 1873). The Society first sent out Major Wilson, R.E., and Captain Anderson, R.E., to report on the best method of proceeding. These officers made a reconnaissance in Galilee and along the watershed to Nabulus; they took a great number of photographs and discovered several of the Galilean synagogues. The Fund next turned its attention to the archaeology of Jerusalem. In 1867 Capt. Warren, R.E., was sent out. His work was continued till 1870, and consisted mainly in making excavations. He, however, also made reconnaissances in Philistia, the Jordan Valley, and Moab. The results of the Jerusalem work are extremely valuable to scholars, especially in fixing the character and dimensions of the great Temple platform and the original rock surface of the Temple hill.
 
In 1871 the Society sent out Professor Palmer, accompanied by Mi. Tyrwhitt Drake. These gentlemen made an adventurous journey through the Negeb and an expedition into Moab.
 
In 1872 the most important undertaking of the Fund was started, being the topographical survey of Western Palestine to the scale of 1-inch to the mile. The party was commanded by Captain Stewart, R.E., and included Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake. Captain Stewart fell ill at the commencement of the work and was succeeded by Lieut. Conder, R.E., who is still in command. At the present date the survey of the whole country from Beersheba to Safed in Galilee, 4600 sq. miles in area, is complete, while 1400 sq. miles remain to be surveyed in upper Galilee. Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake died at his work from fever in June 1874. On 11th July, 1875, the survey party was attacked by a fanatical armed mob at Safed. Lieut. Conder was wounded, as well as Lieut. Kitchener, R.E., the second in command, and nearly every other member of the party. In consequence of this attack, and of the spread of cholera, the party was withdrawn for the winter. It is hoped that the survey will be completed in 1876, and published about a year later.
 
This work will probably prove the most important yet done in Palestine. The Biblical discoveries have been numerous and important; the number of sites explored and names collected is six or seven times greater than that on any published map; careful observations of natural history, geology, architecture, etc., have been made, and large scale plans of important towns, ruins, or buildings, have been drawn. Between 30 and 40 new churches have been found in various parts of Palestine, and some 200 of the rock-cut tombs have been planned.
 
The map will be published in ten large sheets, each accompanied by a memoir with plans and lists of names in English and Arabic. An endeavour will be made to give a description of every ruined site in the whole country from Dan to Beersheba. Numerous photographs have also been taken by the party, which are now being published.
 
In 1874 the Fund also sent out M. Clermont-Ganneau to Jerusalem. His work was principally epigraphic, and his most valuable discovery was that of a fine Hebrew inscription defining the limits of the city of Gezer, which he had already identified from independent considerations.^[14]

1. Λ The photographic historian Beaumont Newhall authored the first monograph on Frederick Henry Evans - Beaumont Newhall , 1973, Frederick Evans: Photographer of the Majesty, Light and Space of the Medieval Cathedrals of England and France, (Aperture)
    
   Anne Hammond (ed.), 1992, Frederick H. Evans: Selected Texts and Bibliography, (Boston: G. K. Hall) [World Photographers Reference Series, vol. 1]; Anne M. Lyden & Hope Kingsley, 2009, The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans, (J Paul Getty Museum) 
     
   
2. Λ David Octavius Hill, 1866, "The First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland - Signing the Act of Separation and the Deed of Demission at Tanfield, Edinburgh, May 1843", Oil painting, 5 foot x 11 foot 4 inches (1.53m x 3.45m), Free Church of Scotland [This photograph was taken by Rev George T. Thomson LRPS and is provided with the permission of the Free Church of Scotland.] 
     
   
3. Λ An example letter from "Hill, D O, to the subjects of the Disruption picture, here filled in to Dr Gordon, 9 June 1843"
   New College Library (Free Church of Scotland), autograph folder 240
   [Open, lithographed letter]
   DOH to the subjects of the Disruption picture, here filled in to Dr Gordon, 9 June 1843
   Source: scottishphotography.org/?page_id=285 
     
   
4. Λ June 29, 1866, "Large Carbon Reproductions", The Photographic News: A Weekly Record of the Progress of Photography, vol. X, no. 408, pp. 304-305. 
     
   
5. Λ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 2LS, Scotland. Tel: 0131 226 5286 
     
   
6. Λ Alexander Keith, 1859, Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion derived from the Literal Fulfilment of Prophecy, Thirty-seventh edition, (London, T. Nelson and Sons), preface 
     
   
7. Λ H.H. Kitchener, 1875, Photographs of Biblical Sites (London: Richard Bentley & Son) Folio. Unpaginated. Black decorated maroon cloth with gilt lettering. 
     
   
8. Λ The Palestine Exploration Fund continues its work today. As it says on its website:

   The PEF was founded in 1865 and is the oldest organization in the world created specifically for the study of the Levant, the southern portion of which was conventionally known as ‘Palestine’. The PEF is a major bridge and information resource for the public and academic community.

   (Accessed: 1 November 2013)
   www.pef.org.uk
    
   The Palestine Exploration Fund, 2 Hinde Mews, Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2AA, UK
   Tel: +44 (0)20 7935 5379, Fax: +44 (0)20 7486 7438, Email: ExecSec@PEF.org.uk 
     
   
9. Λ anon., July 1, 1869, January, "Relics and Photographs from the Holy Land", The Scattered Nation, vols. 3-4, pp. 194 
     
   
10. Λ The Palestine Exploration Fund continues its work today. As it says on its website:

    The PEF was founded in 1865 and is the oldest organization in the world created specifically for the study of the Levant, the southern portion of which was conventionally known as ‘Palestine’. The PEF is a major bridge and information resource for the public and academic community.

    (Accessed: 1 November 2013)
    www.pef.org.uk
     
    The Palestine Exploration Fund, 2 Hinde Mews, Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2AA, UK
    Tel: +44 (0)20 7935 5379, Fax: +44 (0)20 7486 7438, Email: ExecSec@PEF.org.uk 
      
    
11. Λ Ordnance Survey, 1869, Ordnance survey of the peninsula of Sinai. / Made with the sanction of the Right Hon. Sir John Pakington, bart., secretary of state for war, by Captains C.W. Wilson and H.S. Palmer, under the direction of Colonel Sir Henry James...director-general of the Ordnance survey. Pub. by authority of the lords commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, ( Southampton, Ordnance survey office [London, H.M. Stationery off., G.E. Eyre and W.S. Spottiswoode, printers])
     
    Library of Congress, Call Number: DS110.5 .G7 (Case Y) [P&P] Copy 1
    www.loc.gov/pictures/item/20010340/ 
      
    
12. Λ The Palestine Exploration Fund continues its work today. As it says on its website:

    The PEF was founded in 1865 and is the oldest organization in the world created specifically for the study of the Levant, the southern portion of which was conventionally known as ‘Palestine’. The PEF is a major bridge and information resource for the public and academic community.

    (Accessed: 1 November 2013)
    www.pef.org.uk
     
    The Palestine Exploration Fund, 2 Hinde Mews, Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2AA, UK
    Tel: +44 (0)20 7935 5379, Fax: +44 (0)20 7486 7438, Email: ExecSec@PEF.org.uk 
      
    
13. Λ Major early surveys of the Palestine Exploration Fund included:
     
    Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem
    Ordnance Survey of the Peninsula of Sinai 
      
    
14. Λ Karl Baedeker (firm), 1876, Palestine and Syria. Handbook for Travellers (Leipsic: Karl Baedeker, 1876), pp.125-126. 
      
    

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