Christian Cameron, who married James Head
and later changed their name to Cameron-Head, was the grand
daughter of Major General Sir Alexander Cameron KCB, one of
the Duke of Wellington’s most distinguished officers.
When he retired, seriously wounded in the neck by a bullet
from Waterloo, he bought Inverailort Estate, known as “Clanranald’s
Deer Forest,” between Glenfinnan and Lochailort. Here
Christian stalked, fished, entertained on a grand scale, bred
and promoted West Highland Terriers and Norwegian Elk Hounds
which she showed at Crufts. Capturing it all through the lens
of her brass and mahogany, whole-plate field camera, she became
one of the first women to produce high quality photographs
of the West Coast of Scotland.
Christian Cameron’s photographs, mostly
taken in the 1880s-90s and published here for the first time,
not only record a way of life long gone but are technically
brilliant, beautifully composed and considerable works of
art. From landscapes to huge house parties, sheep smearing,
waterfalls, houses (many now demolished), deer stalkers, early
motor cars, horse travel, private steam yachts, estate and
house staff, fishing, West Highland terriers, seal-shooting,
churches and castles, Christian caught them all in a style
many of today’s professional photographers would be
proud to achieve.
Order your copy of The Cameron
Collection (ISBN 0-9556279-0-7) - Click
Here
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