Old Photograph Three Generations Of Fishwives Newhaven Scotland

Old photograph of three generations of fishwives in Newhaven in Edinburgh, Scotland. This Scottish village played a part in the birth of photography. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson did many studies of the fishwives of Newhaven. Often the wives and daughters of fishermen, fishwives were notoriously loud and foul mouthed, as noted in the expression, To swear like a fishwife. One reason for their outspokenness is that their wares were highly perishable and so lost value if not sold quickly. Fishwives in fishing villages such as Cullercoats and Newhaven were noted for their beauty, hardiness and industry and were celebrated by artists and royalty.





All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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