Black & white photographs, taken by the Dundee and East of Scotland Photographic Association (DESPA) during the period 1903-1916 to document changes in the city's landscape. The photographs are divided across thirteen albums on the following topics:
Industries
Churches
The Howff [Graveyard]
The Tay Bridge [Railway bridge]
The Harbour
Streets
Buildings I
Buildings II
Closes
Education
Tramways, Electricity and Gas
Corporation Departments
Volunteers [Military]
The Dundee and East of Scotland Photographic Association (DESPA) was formed in March 1880, when they met at Lamb's Temperance Hotel, Reform Street, Dundee. This was part of a growing movement in the city of Dundee to "emulate the examples of other cities and possess greater facilities for meeting and exchanging ideas and promoting our Art generally".
The first president of DESPA was James C. Cox of Beechwood, Dundee.
The society changed its name to Dundee Photographic Society in 1950 and is still active under this name. It was as Dundee Photographic Society that the same society undertook the Dundee Photographic Survey Vol. 2 in 1991.
Open to the public; digitised but not currently online
The Photographic Survey was donated to Dundee Free Libraries on its completion in 1916 and has remained in the libraries' care.
A card catalogue of locations and institutions appearing in the Photographic Survey is available in the Local History Centre. Each volume also comes with a contents list.
Not accruing new material.
