December 1863: The Art Union of Glasgow – Noel Paton – Photographs by Thomas Annan
An article on page eight of the Cheltenham Chronicle. Parish Register, and General Advertiser for Gloucestershire
and the Adjoining Counties (Cheltenham Chronicle, in The British Newspaper Archive), on Tuesday the 15th of
December, 1863, reads:
“THE ART UNION OF GLASGOW.
The prospectus for 1864 of this incorporated Society will be found in our advertising columns this day, and we have much
pleasure in advocating the merits of such an admirable Institution. Encouraged by the success of the scheme last year,
the Directors of the Glasgow Art-Union have resolved to present the Subscribers of this season also with a set of photographs,
instead of, as used to be the case, with a copy of a line engraving. It will be remembered by the visitors of the late Exhibition of
Paintings in the Corporation Galleries, that the experiment in question was begun with copies from originals, furnished by Millais,
Noel Paton, and Sant. This year the entire series—five in number, is from the pencil of Mr. Paton. We have had the pleasure of
examining the sketches, and feel satisfied they are such as can scarcely fail to gain for the Association the warm thanks and patronage
of all the more thoughtful members of the community. As was the case last year, the photographing of the paintings has been entrusted
to Mr. Annan, of this city, than whom, we need hardly remark, one more competent to accomplish the task satisfactorily could not easily
be found. Mr. Capleton, of the Promenade, is the local Secretary, of whom all further information can be obtained, and Subscribers
names received.”
Some of the comments above suggest that the text originally was published in a Glasgow paper or journal.
A large advertisement for The Art-Union of Glasgow is on page four of the same newspaper. J. C. Capleton, the Honorary
Secretary, was located at 2, Promenade, Cheltenham.
The British Newspaper Archive.
George Fairfull-Smith, September 2024.