‘Search for Thomson the Photographer’

from Lochaber Life #338 December 2021

MP’s Christmas message

DID YOU KNOW ‘THOMSON THE PHOTOGRAPHER’?

Iain Ferguson Does anyone here know Thomson, Thomson from Cameron Square? These words were adapted from a music hall song which will be well known to all readers of a ‘certain age’.

It is to people of that era we are reaching out, as many will have memories of ‘Thomson the photographer’ who lived in and worked from a building at 3 Cameron Square, which still exists opposite the new cinema, presently occupied by an accountant and an architect.

William Thomson was the goto photographer in the area in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, taking many portraits of children and families in his studio, firstly in Cameron Square then, after a move to Corpach, in Kilmallie House. He also published several books of landscape photographs.

These books, dating from the late 1940s and into the 1950s were part of a series in which he travelled all over Scotland capturing views and landscapes in full colour.

After being given one of these books,‘The Highlands in Colour’, historical researcher and writer Estelle Slegers Helsen started looking at his life and work as part of her own ‘Travel in Time’ articles.

Originally from Belgium, where she worked in the media before setting up and running museums, Estelle found the photographs fascinating as a ‘snapshot’ of the times. She now lives in Leicestershire and amongst other things writes historical articles for her local newspaper about villages in the area, based on ‘then and now’ photographs.

She said: ‘He took magnificent photographs and I decided Thomson’s Scotland would be my next project. He is also a forgotten photographer and I would like to bring him back to life.

‘I never see myself as a tourist when going somewhere as I try to blend in and get in contact with the community. I have been visiting the places featured in his photographs and do my best to duplicate them.’

Estelle recently spent two weeks in Fort William searching through archives and literally following in his footsteps to replicate each image as exactly as possible.

While she has already discovered some interesting details on Mr Thomson and his family from a few people who knew them, Estelle is still seeking more information. She is keen to know if he has any living relatives or if there are any photographs of himself. Has anyone who had their photograph taken by him still have the images? Please contact Lochaber Life, from where details will be passed on.

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