The story of photography by the Midland Railway dates as far back as the 1860’s as the Company required a photographic record of its installations, plant and rolling stock from the early days. However, it appears to have started on an ad-hoc basis with John Alfred Warwick, the Telegraph Superintendent from 1851 to 1878, who had an interest in photography as a hobby. When Warwick found that he could no longer manage the volume of work he recommended that the Board allow a friend and fellow amateur photographer, Richard Keene, to do so on a freelance basis. Keene undertook the role throughout the late 1860s and 1870s, latterly helped by his photographic assistant, a man “engaged in the painting department of the Midland Railway since 1860″ – Thomas Scotton (1844 – 1894). Indeed, Thomas Scotton is understood to have photographed a newly-built locomotive at the personal request of Samuel W. Johnson, himself an enthusiastic amateur photographer. When Keene also found that he had less and less time to meet the increasing demands of the fast-expanding railway company, and again, possibly through Warwick’s influence, the MR Board appointed Scotton as its first Official Photographer on September 22nd 1882. At the same time a Photographic Department was created as a sub-department of the Locomotive Department and was initially based in premises next door to the enginemen’s barracks on Siddals Road, Derby. Over time a large staff was engaged, including a number women.
The work of the Photographic Deptartment was not confined to just taking and printing photographs, it was it is thought also responsible for the reproduction of blue prints and various other plans involving special copying processes. As photography matured from a purely artistic medium available only to the well-off or exceptionally dedicated amateur into a readily accessible tool that could be widely adopted, other departments of the Midland Railway set up their own photographic facilities. Notable among these were the Engineers, with their own referencing/cataloguing system, their prints being distinctive in that they all bear the date and location of the image in “John Bull Printing” style.
DEATH OF MR. THOMAS SCOTTON -We very much regret to announce the sudden death of Mr. Thomas Scotton who, for a good many years, has been widely known and respected in photographer to the Midland Railway Company. The deceased gentlemen, who was 50 years of age, appeared in his usual health up to leaving business on Tuesday morning, but was taken ill on the way home, and an arriving at his residence, 9, Church-street, New Normanton, it was apparent his condition was a dangerous one. Dr. T. Highton, of Normanton-road, was sent for, but the deceased never rallied, and died at six o’clock on Tuesday evening, having broken two blood vessels in his head. Mr. Scotton was personally very much esteemed by all who knew him, and his death will be mourned by a very large circle of friends and acquaintances. He had been in the employ of the Midland Railway Company, thirty-four years, having entered service as a youth. He was engaged in the painting department up till 1882, when he was appointed to the position he held at the time of his death. His knowledge of photography was equalled by few, and his work was well-known at the leading exhibitions of photographic subjects throughout the country, Mr. Scotton having won medals and diplomas at almost every exhibition he showed at. His kindness of heart was proverbial, and many were the interesting entertainments with his magic lantern he gave for the amusement of the Orphanage children, the Deaf and Dumb inmates, and for she benefit of many other charitable institutions. The Borough Coroner (Mr. J. Close) held an inquest on the body of Mr. Scotton at the Town Hall on Wednesday morning, when, in accordance with the evidence of Dr. Highton, a verdict of “Death from apoplexy” was returned. Mr, Scotton’s son is also a well-known photographer, also in the employ of the Midland, whilst his elder brother, Mr. Amos Scotton, in a prominent figure in the Co-operative world, being closely identified with the operations of what is known as the wholesale society.
Derby Daily Telegraph – Thursday 11 October 1894
Following his father’s death, Thomas Albert Scotton (1869 – 1946), who had been first apprenticed to his father from 1883 and later acted as his assistant, continued in the post of photographer for the Midland Railway and later the London Midland & Scottish Railway, until he retired in 1932. T.A.Scotton gave an interview to the Derby Evening Telegraph following his retirement including this anecdote…
VARIED EXPERIENCE.
Giving some of his experiences, Mr. Scotton said, “During the Great War a large amount of work was done in connection with reproducing tracings of the details of shells, guns, and airplane construction. Twenty-five shell and ordnance factories were periodically photographed to show progress, and these extended from Glasgow to London. “During the latter part of 1915, while engaged on work at a factory, I was arrested by the police and taken in the motor-car which I had waiting to carry me back to St. Pancras to the police station. “Afterwards I was released, but not until after they had communicated with the Ministry of Munitions.” Later Mr. Scotton was supplied with a Foreign Office passport. On another occasion at Lancaster, a crowd of munition workers wanted to throw him into the river. Fortunately, the superintendent of police from the factory was with him, and saved the situation.
Derby Evening Telegraph
Monday, May 30, 1932.
By the time the time of the Grouping in 1923, the Company’s photographers had collectively produced in excess of 13,000 images, all on glass plate negatives. At some point during the LMS period, it is evident that the register for the Derby Official Negatives was re-written and a new referencing style introduced, prefixed with “DY”. This register survives and has been transcribed (at least for the MR period), with a searchable version available on the Midland Railway Study Centre website. Unfortunately, in carrying out this exercise, no heed was taken of the existing sequence, and as such, the DY reference bears no relationship to the image’s date. As far as is known, the original MR catalogue was then destroyed.
The “DY” system of references was perpetuated well into the BR period. By the 1960s was part of the London Midland Region’s Public Relations Department base din Nelson Street, Derby and led by George Dow. The member of staff withspecific responsibility for the collection was John Edgington. The negatives were later moved to the Clapham Railway Museum and then to the National Railway Museum at York. John was so dedicated to his responsibility that he transferred from BR and became a Civil Servant in order to maintain the collection until his retirement. The collection remains with the National Railway Museum, referred to variously as the Derby Collection, Derby Officials, Derby Negatives.
