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Charles Reid
'Macgregor', owned by James R. Dempster, Ladyton
1890 (ca)
Albumen print
11.5 x 18.3 cm
National Galleries of Scotland
Acc. No. PGP R 922.2
LL/56763
(Curatorial caption, accessed 23 November 2014)
Shown here is the most common variety of sheep in the Scottish Borders and Highlands - the Scottish Blackface. Their wool is highly prized for its hardwearing qualities and the Blackface horns add a distinctive look to walking sticks and shepherds' crooks. Photographs of livestock were not uncommon during the turn of the century, as landowners took pride in their husbandry. The side view gives us a clear idea of the physical qualities of the breed: the long thick fleece, the curvy horns, the black face and the magnificent posture.
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