I found fascinating bibliophile treasure last week.
I was in The Salvation Army looking for 2nd hands books, and I saw two volumes of James Agate's autobiography, EGO 6 and EGO 7. I only knew his name vaguely, and thought perhaps he had something to do with Evelyn Waugh and his set. I left the books and looked up Agate in some of my own books when I got home. I only found one reference and one quotation, in a biography of John Osborne. The quotation - "A dirty mind is a perpetual feast" - amused me enough to go back for the books the next day. When I went back, I spotted a lovely copy of JA Froude's 'Caesar', which hadn't been there the previous day, an 1896 edition embossed with the gold stamp of The Collegiate School, Glasgow. It was a presentation copy given to someone named Robert K McMillan in 1899 'For distinguished excellence in Latin and French.' Well done him.
All this alone would be a bargain at 50p, but the thing that really thrilled me was when I picked it up, flicked through it, and found it full of photographic negatives, 17 of them, all at least as old as the book. Late Victorian ladies in their gardens, a gentleman at his desk, some kids on a lawn, a picture of George Square here in Glasgow. The negatives are four inches by three and a half inches and in amazing condition for their age, it was only looking at the images that convinced me of their age. I went to The Copy Bureau in Glasgow and simply put reversing the values in the photocopier, and enlarging them, they turned out incredibly well.
Looking for any help in identifying some of the places.
DOMESTIC INTERIOR.
ROBERT K MCMILLAN POSSIBLY?
ROBERT'S SISTER - IN MY MIND, ANYWAY.
AT HOME.
PATER FAMILIAS?
PATER BEING SCHOLARLY.
CECILY AND CUTHBERT.
GEORGE SQUARE, PRE-WAR. IMAGE REVERSED ( SORRY! )
FAMILY HOME. BROOMHILL/HYNDLAND? I'D LOVE TO FIND THIS HOUSE.
HOLIDAY HOME. FRIENDS SUGGEST ARRAN OR KIRKINTILLOCH.
ANOTHER HOLIDAY HOME?
CHEERFUL CHAP IN GARDEN.
I DON'T FANCY YOURS MUCH.
SHADY CHARACTER ON THE LEFT.
HATLESS MAN BY RIVER.
MYSTERY BUILDING. IN GLASGOW? DOES ANYONE KNOW IT?
Hope you like them. Any help identifying that last building would be much appreciated, as would any help locating the family house. Not much to go on, I know, but if I find out anything else I'll post it here.