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Interior of the Great Octagon Room in the Shared RSA-NGS Building During the RSA Annual Exhibition of 1860

Artist: Tunny, James Good · 1820-1887

Interior of the Great Octagon Room in the Shared RSA-NGS Building During the RSA Annual Exhibition of 1860

The background to this, and its partner negative (RSA 2023.0013.2) believed to be the earliest photographic images showing an RSA Exhibition, is given…

The background to this, and its partner negative (RSA 2023.0013.2) believed to be the earliest photographic images showing an RSA Exhibition, is given in detail in the RSA Council Minute Book 1857-63.

Minutes of Meeting of RSA Council 1860-03-16; "The Attention of the Council was called to a question of some delicacy and importance arising out of the following circumstances, Mr Tunny, Photographer, had been requested by Mr C E [sic] Johnstone and Mr Steell to make Photographs from two of their pictures in the Exhibition, and his doing so was sanctioned by the Secretary in name of the Council. It had been suggested to Mr Tunny, in making these photographs to make experimentally two Photographs of two sides of the Great Octagon Room in the Exhibition, and he had accordingly done so, a circumstance he communicated to the Secretary as the latter passed through the Gallery to the Committee meeting held on the 12th inst [no meeting minuted for this date - RHR] when he gave to him impressions from those Photographs to be submitted to the members of Council who composed the Committee. They were submitted accordingly, and the Committee had though the matter of so peculiar and delicate a nature and to request the Secretary immediately to write to Mr Tunny - which he did, in the terms of which the following is a copy;

'Royal Academy, Edinburgh, 13 March 1860, # Dear Mr Tunny, # At your request I laid before the Committee of the Council of the Royal Scottish Academy, which met yesterday at 4 o'clock pm the two Photographs of portion of the Great Room, of the Academy Exhibition, which you put into my hands as I passed through the room to the meeting. # As I anticipated, the members of Council present were a good deal startled and vexed at these Photographs, having been made, without authority. I did not fail to state the circumstances under which you had been induced to make them, and your willingness - if the act was found fault with, to destroy the impressions and the negatives, I am afraid these will be a necessity for this, as the existence of these Photographs would probably raised some serious questions of the invasion of copyright, as well as of the abuse of trust confided in the Academy in the temporary possession of the works consisting the Exhibition. # I would beg to suggest that you send to me as Secretary of the Academy, sealed up, any impressions of those Photographs which may exist, as well as the negatives - and that you would signify to me in writing, as you did verbally, your willingness that they be destroyed. I shall bring this matter formally before the first Council Meeting , before which I would suggest that it would be wrong to destroy them, for as yet the subject has not been before any regular Council meeting. # I remain your obedient servant, (signed) D O Hill, Secretary.# Mr James G Tunny, Newington Photographic Rooms. [South Clerk Street - RHR]'

Read letter from Mr Tunny which was accompanied by the Negatives and the only impressions taken from them, the following is a copy;

'Newington Photographic Rooms , Edinburgh, 13 March 1860, # Dear Mr Hill, # I beg to acknowledge your letter of this date and I haste to enclose the two negatives and two prints that were taken from them, and if the Council see proper to destroy the same, I again express, as I did verbally to you, that I willingly comply, they being taken with the express intention of submitting them for the approval or rejection of the Council. # I remain your most obedient servant, (signed) Jas G Tunny, D O Hill Esq, RSA'

The Council who in the meantime expressed their entire confidence, that what Mr Tunny has done was entirely in good faith, they yet thought that these Photographs could not be made public, and in the meantime instruct the Librarian to put them carefully away, until the matter had been more maturely considered by the Council.'"