Andrew Guthrie Milne

Andrew Milne was born the son of a railway man in Forfar on the 16 December 1869.  Andrews Father worked on the Railway. Andrew followed in his father’s footsteps when he was just 12 years old. 

Andrew married Harriet Anderson In October 1890 just before his 21st birthday. She later appears posed as the ‘human interest’ in many of his stereo images and they seem to have made quite a team.

In 1895 Andrew transferred to the railway goods yards at Perth North where he worked as the cattle bank foreman until his retirement in 1934.  The pictures in this book appear to have all been taken in a relatively short period of perhaps two or three years around 1902.

Andrew and Harriot

Apart from Andrew’s self portraits this is one of the best contemporary pictures of him. Taken at around the time of their marriage in 1890, this is a picture of the young Andrew and Harriet.

Andrew’ Life

By all accounts Andrew was quite a character who pursued quite a wide range of interests. In the brief period in which photography interested Andrew, he appears to have taken it up with a passion.  There is little evidence that he continued his interest in photography beyond about 1905.

After Harriet’s death in 1932 Andrew lived with my Gt. Grandmother in Atholl Crescent near the North Inch in Perth.  He lived there until his death in 1937.  Andrew and Harriet are buried in Dundee.

Andrew Milne was my Great Great Uncle.  I first saw and was inspired by Andrew’s stereo pictures as young teenager.  I have always had a personal interest in photography and the story of Andrew’s photographs were a family legend. With the kind support of key family members I have been able to undertake the research needed to publicise Andrew’s work in my book. Researching the pictures and the stories of the people and places they present has been a fantastic personal journey for me.  You can read more about in post here.

This is me in the Yetts of Muchart very close to the location one of Andrew’s original images entitled

Ian close to the original scene in the Yetts of Muckhart
The Original On a Hill Road by Andrew Milne
The Original On a Hill Road by Andrew Milne in the Yetts of Muckhart

I have adopted the “On a Hill Road” title. Andrew had used it as the title of three completely different images.  Somehow I think he saw in the title something which captured a romantic essence of being out in the countryside of Scotland with his camera. For me it has become a mantra to be creative with my camera too.