J P Milnes’ Stereoscopic Views of Wigtownshire

John Pollard Milnes was Stranraer's best known commercial photographer. His photographs now offer a fascinating glimpse of Wigtownshire people and places at the end of the 19th century.
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Milnes moved to Stranraer in 1890 as an assistant to T A Morryson who had a photographic studio in the town's Hanover Square. By 1893 he had his own studio in Hanover Street and a few years later opened another in Newton Stewart. Most of Milnes' work was standard studio commissions and portraits but he also specialised in landscape views of the surrounding area; these were in great demand as tourist souvenirs and were used as photographs, postcards and illustrations in travel guides. 

A novelty in Milnes' studio was the "Penny-in-the-Slot Stereoscope showing the prettiest and most interesting views in the neighbourhood". The viewer and a collection of Milnes' stereoscopic slides were donated to Stranraer Museum in 1963 and a selection is shown here.

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"The Oldest House in Wigtownshire"
A remarkable photograph showing the type of rural poverty which could still be found in Wigtownshire
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Portpatrick Harbour
A view across Portpatrick showing the North Harbour which was completed in the 1860s.  The route of
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St John Street, Whithorn
Children pose around one of the town's water pumps.  Notice the men with the hand cart moving a larg
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The Stepping Stones, Cumloden
Milne's stereoscopic views include a number taken at Cumloden near Newton Stewart.  It was either on
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Fishing the Penkiln Burn
A fishing party on the banks of the Penkiln Burn at Cumloden, Newton Stewart.  Cumloden House was bu
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The McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart
Newton Stewart's Dashwood Square overlooked by the massive McMillan Hall built in 1884.  The child i
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Newton Stewart Railway Station
A lively view of Newton Stewart Station, one of the principal stops on the line between Dumfries and
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Port William Harbour
Port William Harbour is a planned village and harbour built in 1770 by the Maxwell family, one of th
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Blackcraig Mine, Minnigaff
An Edwardian cycling party resting outside some of the cottages at Blackcraig.  The lead mines at Bl
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Skating
Large numbers of well-wrapped Stranraer folk enjoying the ice on Limekiln Loch.  This was the closes
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Lochnaw Castle
Two well-dressed Edwardian cyclists pose by their machines on the drive leading to Lochnaw Castle. 
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Wreck of the S. S. Bathori
The steamer 'Bathori' ran aground in Larbrax Bay, Leswalt in December 1897.  She was carrying a gene
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Boating party on the White Loch, Castle Kennedy
This is one of a number of views in Milne's stereoscopic collection showing a boating party on the W
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Smuggler's Cave, Portpatrick
The coast around Portpatrick is dotted with caves.  The cave shown here may be Uchtriemacken's Cave
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Lochryan House, Cairnryan
A view looking west over Lochryan House from Cairn Hill.  The house was built in 1701 for Colonel An
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The wreck of the Firth of Cromarty
The 'Firth of Cromarty' was wrecked off Corsewall Point in the Rhinns of Galloway in August 1898.  S
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