Opening up a Kodak no.3 Camera Box and finding small envelopes of negatives led Orcadian Bruce Gorie on a trail to discover the names of the people in the pictures.

The Orkney Family History Society hosted   ‘A Pot-Pourri of Pictures‘ by Bruce Gorie on Thursday, 14th of March at the St Magnus Centre.

Bruce Gorie had the box of negatives, which he described as ‘snaps’, professionally scanned which meant he could put them up on a large screen for the audience to see. The ‘snaps’ are delightful, mostly taken between the two World Wars and show his father, mother, grand parents and others out on picnics or visiting places.

A very early image is from 1907 taken at Clestrain Farm, Stronsay. Their interest and charm is because they are mostly snaps showing people at the their ease in social and family settings.

There are some images which would be of interest to those who are researching the history of archaeological  excavation with early photographs of the Broch of Gurness (1935) and the Broch of Birsay before the building of the Kitchener Memorial (pre 1926). For vintage vehicle enthusiasts there are images of a motorbike and sidecar, BS 752, and a 1928 Morris Cowley (which is still on the go) BS 1186.

Special days in Orkney celebrating the Silver Jubilee in May 1935 and the naming of the  Longhope lifeboat by Prince George on the 6th June 1928 show the more public side of life in the islands.

Many of the people in the photographs are unnamed. It is Bruce Gorie’s quest to try and identify more of them or some of the places where the pictures were taken.

This was a heart warming talk reminding us of a time, after the horrors of a world war, the war to end all wars, when life (and cars) were at a slower pace and you took a tea pot on a picnic. There is sadness too , for this is the story of a family which like so many others scattered far from the shores of their island homes.

The Orkney Family History Society

The Orkney Family History Society has a membership of 1500 worldwide. Last year alone 200 people joined and this coming year membership is expected to reach over 1600.

You can find out more about The Orkney Family History Society here:

Website:  Sib Folk

Facebook page: Orkney Family History Society

Reporter: Fiona Grahame