John Harper and Hugh Harper in Motor Car at Seafield House
Date1901
Object NamePhotograph
Mediumcard
ClassificationsEngineering
DimensionsOverall: Height: 31 cm, Width: 24 cm
AcquisitionPresented in 1983.
LocationUnlocated - ongoing site audits are expected to resolve unconfirmed locations
Object numberABDMS004870.1
About MeThe proud Harper family in the 110th motor car to be registered in Aberdeen. Parked outside Seafield House, the home of John Harper. John is the man seated in the front, smoking a cigar. Directly behind him with the large beard is his brother Hugh. These two men were responsible for setting up one Aberdeen's best known engineering businesses. They were brought up in Turriff, at the Mill of Laithers. About 1857 (when they were in their twenties) they opened an iron gate and wire manufacturing business in Aberdeen. Literally their wire was to be found throughout the North East of Scotland: supplying wire with cast iron posts and iron gates to large estates such as Glentanar and the Great North of Scotland Railway. From this the brothers went on to manufacture suspension bridges, set up their own foundry and machine shops and began to specialise in the manufacture of power transmission systems. John Harper died in 1906 and Hugh in 1912.
