Edinburgh Ale

Although similar in composition to the group portrait of Dumbarton Presbytery, even including the same drape in the background, this informal picture of, from left to right, James Ballantine (1808-77), Dr. George Bell (d. 1889), and one of the photographers, David Octavius Hill (1802-70), has the feel of a modern snapshot. Through the men's relaxed poses, faint smiles, and indirect gazes, the scene appears spontaneous, consequently possessing a vitality much different from the ministerial image. There is the impression that a small social gathering—complete with glasses of beer—has been interrupted. The men all seem to be looking off-camera, perhaps at another member of their social set.

Hill was a congenial character with many friends and colleagues whom he often invited to participate in calotype portraits. Two such associates were Ballantine, an author and stained glass artist, and Bell, a social reformer who was one of the founders of the "ragged schools," established for underprivileged children.

Anne M. Lyden. Hill and Adamson, In Focus: Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1999), 66. ©1999, J. Paul Getty Museum.