Names: | Other: Eliza Linnie Other: James Lennie Other: John Lennie Other: Lennie Opticians Other: Liza Lennie
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| Born: | Scotland, Edinburgh | Active: | Scotland | Lennie Opticians (1840-1953)
The most common retailer's blindstamp observed on Scottish stereoviews is 'LENNIE'. The opticians business founded by James Lennie in 1840 started advertising stereoviews for sale in 1853. By the end of 1854 their popularity warranted a dedicated advert.
James died in 1854, but the business prospered under widow Eliza and moved from 14 Leith Street to 46 Princes Street in 1856. It became a one-stop shop for photographers, supplying cameras, lenses, tripods, glass plates, collodion, darkroom equipment and chemicals. In 1858 it advertised a complete photographer's kit containing all of the above for £2.
Son John Lennie joined the Photographic Society of Scotland in 1857, but is not listed as a photographer in Edinburgh's trade directories and never exhibited. Some views do credit Lennie as photographer, but it seems that the company was mainly a distributor.
The 'LENNIE' blindstamp appears on Scottish views by Moffat, Wilson and McGlashon and also on foreign views by a variety of continental photographers. Most of the early 'LENNIE' Scottish views remain anonymous.
Biography taken, with permission, from: Peter Blair, 2018, Scotland in 3D, (P3DB Publishing)
Stereographs project Business locations Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, UK [5] (Alan Griffiths, 9 December 2022) Not listed in T.K. Treadwell & William C. Darrah (Compiled by), Wolfgang, Sell (Updated by), 11/28/2003. T.K. Treadwell & William C. Darrah (Compiled by), Wolfgang, Sell (Updated by), 11/28/2003, Photographers of the World (Non-USA), (National Stereoscopic Association) |
Credit: National Stereoscopic Association with corrections and additions by Alan Griffiths and others. |
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Preparing biographies
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