0:00:02 > 0:00:03In the Victorian era,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Britain changed as never before. It was the time of great inventors,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10great engineers, but above all, great businessmen.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Entrepreneurs.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15One of the best examples was the pioneer photographer,
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Francis Frith.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It was in the 1860s that Francis Frith embarked
0:00:20 > 0:00:21upon a monumental mission
0:00:21 > 0:00:25using the newly invented photographic camera.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29He wanted to document every city, every town
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and every village in the land.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'm tracing the footsteps of this remarkable man
0:00:34 > 0:00:36and his team of photographers.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Using their pictures as my guide, I will be travelling the length
0:00:40 > 0:00:42and breadth of the country,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45finding out what has altered and what has stayed the same.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Along the way, I will be taking my own photos
0:00:48 > 0:00:52to try and capture the mood of the place as it is now.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54That's great!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Welcome to Britain's First Photo Album.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18The old photographers not only portrayed the world in a new way
0:01:18 > 0:01:22never done before, they made people want to go to the places
0:01:22 > 0:01:24where the photographers had been to.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26The old photos encouraged tourism,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30but also a great new interest in history.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33That was particularly true here in Scotland.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Today, my photographic tour takes me
0:01:37 > 0:01:41from the Western Highlands of Perthshire to the city of Sterling,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43and down to the famous Forth Canal.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I'll be making a meal of classic Scottish oatcakes.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Ta-dah!
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Finding out how to take a picture as Frith did over 100 years ago.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59I've taken mine ages ago, we have to wait now. 30 seconds!
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And, of course, adding to my own album of photographs.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09It's the old and the modern, I hope, brought together in one picture.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Today, I have come to the most northerly point in my travels,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16to the Trossachs National Park in Scotland.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20The beautiful freshwater Loch Katrine.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24In 1873, this area was opened up for the first time by train,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27with the establishment of the Callander to Oban railway.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It brought in tourists in their droves
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and attracted the Frith photographers
0:02:33 > 0:02:35looking to sell their memento pictures.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37This one is of a steam-powered boat
0:02:37 > 0:02:40on one of the most picturesque of Scottish lochs.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The boat was called The Rob Roy,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46after Sir Walter Scott's famous novel.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50So, have things changed since the photo was taken?
0:02:50 > 0:02:51Not a bit of it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58This is the sort of romantic scene which Victorian travellers loved.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Loch Katrine is not just any old lake,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05it's the setting for a famous poem, the Lady Of The Lake.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09It was written by one of the most popular writers
0:03:09 > 0:03:11of the 19th century - Sir Walter Scott.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16But you've got to imagine, for this, that it's a beautiful summer's day.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19"The wanderer's eye could barely view
0:03:19 > 0:03:22"The summer heavens delicious blue
0:03:22 > 0:03:25"So wondrous wild The whole might seem
0:03:25 > 0:03:29"The scenery of a fairy dream."
0:03:29 > 0:03:34In Victorian times, people just really went for that sort of poem.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And they came to this place from all over Scotland,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39but also from all over Britain,
0:03:39 > 0:03:45because they wanted to capture the spirit of that Lady Of The Lake.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And since 1843 the Loch Katrine passenger steamers
0:03:48 > 0:03:52have been taking those well-to-do visitors
0:03:52 > 0:03:54on romantic tours of the Highlands.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56The Rob Roy in the Frith picture
0:03:56 > 0:04:00was decommissioned shortly after the photo was taken,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the steamer we see today is the Walter Scott.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Louise Corrieri is one of current crew,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and she's made a special study of this area.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Right, now you're going to tell me where this photograph was taken.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Yes, I think it was on the rock face. Just in front of us.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18So, this bit is right, isn't it?
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I think so, around about this area. Yeah.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24OK, we're getting the idea, aren't we?
0:04:24 > 0:04:29- So, this photograph was taken when? - Roughly around 1898.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31When did the Sir Walter Scott ship we can see,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33when did that first come onto the lake?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36She had her first official season in 1900.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- Right, so it's only two years after that.- Yes.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- That's the actual boat that we can see?- Yes, it is.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Isn't that wonderful? - That's great.- Yeah.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It's Louise's job to make sure that tourists enjoy the Loch tours
0:04:49 > 0:04:53as much as they did in Victorian times.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55How much do you mention Sir Walter Scott?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57We've got an island coming up shortly,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and that's where he used to sit to write his poems.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03We tell them about the Lady Of The Lake.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It is just to point out the scenery,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08to say this is why he was so inspired.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Even on a day like today, it's so mysterious and romantic.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16It's never a horrible place, it always looks stunning,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18it doesn't matter what the weather is.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20In any case, the good holidaymaker
0:05:20 > 0:05:25is always determined to enjoy their holiday, come rain or shine.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Are you enjoying the trip? - We are, it's lovely. Really nice.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36- What do you like about it?- It's just so beautiful and scenic around here.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37A really pretty part of Scotland.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- People say it's romantic, do you think it's romantic?- It is.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46- But, I think the rain has dampened the romance today.- Has it?- Yes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- It's a bit bleak.- I think you get the mist, you get the full effect.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Yes, it is, actually. It is. It's really lovely.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- Where are you from?- Nottingham. - Are you?- Yes.- Yeah?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- Robin Hood would have liked this, wouldn't he?- Definitely.- Loved it!
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I think he and Rob Roy would have the good mates!
0:06:04 > 0:06:06They would have!
0:06:06 > 0:06:10The steam engine in the boat at the time of Frith's picture
0:06:10 > 0:06:12would have been state of the art.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16The only way to power such a large vessel across the Loch.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Nowadays, the steam engines in the Walter Scott
0:06:20 > 0:06:23provide nostalgia as well as power.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'I went down to the engine room
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'to meet the chief engineer, Malcolm Stylec,'
0:06:27 > 0:06:29to learn its secrets.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- Originally, it was run by coal, wasn't it?- Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35How did it work?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41OK, originally the coal boilers were situated in the same place
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- as these oil fire boilers are now. - Right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49- It's now running on biofuel, which is basically vegetable oil.- Oh, really?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Yes, the steam comes down this pipe, here,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56into the regulator where we control the speed of the engine.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Then it's used three times, through the engine.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05That's why it's called a triple expansion steam engine.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06How old is this?
0:07:06 > 0:07:10This is 112 years old, it was built in 1899.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Over the years, the bearings have had to be replaced,
0:07:13 > 0:07:14obviously the wearing parts.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- But, fundamentally, it's as it was in 1899.- Gosh.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Does it ever go wrong?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Er, not on my watch! - No, no, certainly not!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26What a lovely boat,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and what a gentle way to see this glorious scenery.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31When it comes to taking a photo of the place,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I feel at one with the Frith photographer of all those years ago.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42Right, this is my attempt now at a romantic picture.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46The rain's always been here, but the rain, I think, adds to it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I think it gives it that air, certainly the mist does,
0:07:49 > 0:07:55makes it just a slightly bit more mysterious and interesting.
0:08:03 > 0:08:09112 years old. What a lovely boat. I'm a bit soft on boats, I admit.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13But the autumn colours, haven't they come through well?
0:08:13 > 0:08:19And of course, the subject matter. She is the true lady of the lake.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23In the mid-19th century,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27large numbers of tourists were coming to the Western Highlands
0:08:27 > 0:08:28for the first time.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32They stopped off at small towns en route
0:08:32 > 0:08:36and my next port of call is one such town, Callander,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39which lies about ten miles east of the loch.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The Frith picture is of the high street in Callander,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48which was flourishing with all that extra trade the visitors brought.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Souvenir shops, hotels
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and cafes were springing up to cater for the growing demand.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57We could do with better weather,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02but this is a rather gentile resort, which the Frith photographers
0:09:02 > 0:09:07came to and they took a nice picture of the main high street
0:09:07 > 0:09:11where we're going and it's virtually exactly the same as it was.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15In fact, the tourist trade is still going strong in Callander,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18all these years later.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Local historian and businessmen Rob Kerr works in the high street.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26He's pretty sure he can show me where the Frith picture was taken.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29We turn this way slightly
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and probably the most prominent thing on the high street
0:09:31 > 0:09:34you can see here at the bottom is the Dreadnought Hotel,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36which still stands to this day.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I think to give the real essence of where the photograph begins,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42we have to head up the main street slightly.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47It does look surprisingly similar to the street today.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Recently, they've spent a lot of Lottery money
0:09:49 > 0:09:52keeping the facings of the buildings looking the same.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The buildings here have been restored to their former glory.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Apart from the obvious addition of cars,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02this view has changed very little since Frith's time.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06We're about here, if we have a look at the photograph now.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08If we take a look, this is approximately where
0:10:08 > 0:10:11the person was standing that shot the photograph.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Callander's very much... It's maintained the facing.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17I suppose looking at this photograph here,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20the only thing we can notice that's changed is perhaps
0:10:20 > 0:10:24the clothing of the people and the introduction of tarmac on the roads.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30But the main photograph content has remained the same.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34And we still very fortunately have the old buildings
0:10:34 > 0:10:37still being used for what they were used for in those days.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40For example, the hotels and guesthouses.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41The bakery that Rob runs
0:10:41 > 0:10:45has been on Callander high street for over 100 years
0:10:45 > 0:10:49and would have been selling bread, cakes and pies
0:10:49 > 0:10:51when the Frith picture was taken.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53It's still making traditional pies
0:10:53 > 0:10:57and old Scottish classics - oatcakes and bridies.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01I can't resist trying my hand at a bit of baking.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Rob is going to give me an oatcake challenge.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08I've got to make these, have I?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Yeah. We're going to try to show you...
0:11:11 > 0:11:13I don't know whether you can make them.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- They're meant to be very simple. - They are.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20That was the reason the oatcake came about. It was very cheap,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23very affordable for the families to make in days gone by.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27'So, here I go, then. This should be a breeze!'
0:11:27 > 0:11:32You don't want to have too much whisky before you do this.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33'Next, to add an ingredient
0:11:33 > 0:11:37'which I'm sure is not traditional for a Scottish recipe.'
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I've done this one for you, John.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43All of that oil there, that's some olive oil. 250 grammes of that.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- Nice Scottish olive oil!- Yes, aha.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Comes from the Highlands!
0:11:48 > 0:11:51From the Highlands... Pressed in the Highlands!
0:11:51 > 0:11:54'After a good old stir, it's time to get stuck in.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- Just give it a little dusting. - Can I try that?
0:11:57 > 0:12:01You can give that a go, just give it a good throw on there.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- Well done. You've done that before.- Ta-dah!
0:12:04 > 0:12:08If you want to tip out your mix onto the table.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- Right.- Get it all out there.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15'I never realised so much work went in to such a small oatcake.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20'The whole process has to be done with a bit of a flourish.'
0:12:20 > 0:12:24To stop things falling off trays and knocking into people,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28- you carry it above your head like so. - Right. Shall I do that?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Just pop it down.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- This is quite tricky, isn't it? - You look like a baker now!
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'Into the oven they go,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40'and 15 minutes later, hey presto, they're done!'
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Well, look at that! And look at those oatcakes. They look terrific.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'I'm pretty pleased with the result.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52'But when it comes to baking, it's the customer who's always right.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54'I have to throw myself onto the mercy
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'of the local Callander food critics.'
0:13:01 > 0:13:03What do you think?
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Very nice.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'There you go - very nice! What can I say?
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Well, one thing is for sure -
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Scottish baking is alive and well in Callander,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'just as it was when the Frith photograph was taken.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22'My photo will celebrate traditional pastries.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:28OK. Right. Are you ready? What we want here, your motivation is pride.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Pride in pies.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Here's my picture of the proud purveyor of perfect pies.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42We did have a choice for my picture,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45but there's no point in taking the road again
0:13:45 > 0:13:47cos it's exactly the same.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53But what about those pies? Bridies, haggis, steak with black pudding...
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I mean, just read out those names,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58you want to eat them. I certainly do.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I'm telling the story of Britain's first photo album,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09tracing the footsteps of Francis Frith and his team,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11using the photographs they took
0:14:11 > 0:14:14to show how life has changed.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17For the next stop on the Scottish leg of my tour,
0:14:17 > 0:14:22I'm heading across Perthshire and east to the city of Stirling.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Our next Frith photo is of the Great Hall at Stirling Castle,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31one of Scotland's most important military fortifications.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33The castle sits atop a crag,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39A strong defensive position.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42And with its strategic importance on the bank
0:14:42 > 0:14:48of the River Forth, Stirling became one of the key cities in Scotland.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51This is one of the greatest of all the castles in Britain.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55The Frith photographers had a field day rushing about,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58taking pictures of the dramatic exteriors.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02But the photograph that we've got is not very striking,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06but it is extremely interesting.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The Great Hall at Stirling Castle is one of the first examples
0:15:10 > 0:15:14of Renaissance-influenced royal architecture in Scotland.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18But by the time of the Frith photo, many of its original features,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21including the roof and stained-glass windows,
0:15:21 > 0:15:26had been removed in order to convert it into military barracks.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31In black-and-white, the place looks a mere shadow of its former self.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34But just look at it now, in full technicolour.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37What an incredible transformation!
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The striking peachy tones of the hall
0:15:39 > 0:15:42make it stand out from the rest of the castle.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45In fact, it looks almost new.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Gary D'Arcy's been the senior steward here for 13 years.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54He tells me why the Great Hall has changed since the Frith photo.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59This photograph was taken when the Great Hall was a barracks.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03It was in use by the army between 1790 and 1964.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Where this picture has captured the Old Parliament Building,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10as they called it, is in the middle of its life cycle.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13This building started out looking as it does today.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15When they left the castle in 1964,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18a restoration project began to restore it
0:16:18 > 0:16:20back to the way it originally looked.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We're looking at something from which century?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The building was built in 1503.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26For 100 years, it bore witness
0:16:26 > 0:16:31to feasts, banquets and two sessions of the Scottish Parliament.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34And why does it have this lovely colour?
0:16:34 > 0:16:39The colouring is called harling, it's a thick layer of lime plaster
0:16:39 > 0:16:42that's applied to the building. It acts like a waterproofing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It was also there to make the building stand out.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47When the Frith photographer was taking this,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49it didn't look anything like that.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Why do you think they wanted this photograph?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55They titled the photo The Old Parliament Building.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01I think what they were doing was connecting the history,
0:17:01 > 0:17:02the governing of Scotland
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and showing people that this was where parliament used to sit.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The Great Hall is now a favourite for visitors to Stirling Castle
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and I'm sure Frith and his team
0:17:12 > 0:17:16would have been taken by its new old look.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19When the Frith team came to take their picture,
0:17:19 > 0:17:20they would have been burdened
0:17:20 > 0:17:24with a much more laborious photographic process than we use.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27We have small digital cameras.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Frith travelled around with a cartload of gear.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Alex Boyd is a historical photographer and he's come
0:17:35 > 0:17:40to Stirling to demonstrate what Victorian photography entailed.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Now then, you're going to tell me just how difficult it was
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- to take this picture.- Yes.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Aside from having to carry the weight of that, as you can see,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51the camera is quite basic.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It's pretty much the same camera that Mr Frith would have used
0:17:54 > 0:17:58- when he was making his images. - And it's a bellows camera.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Yes, it's fixed at the front,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03but if you want to focus, you have to move the whole camera.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04The lens itself is an original,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07the same type of lens Francis Frith would have used.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11It's from the 1870s, 1880s. That part of the camera is original,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13but it will produce the same results.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18- How would it work?- It's much more simple than digital cameras.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22You cover the lens when you want to stop or start the exposure
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and that's it, basically.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28You expose onto the film and then close it once you're finished.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Why are you wearing rubber gloves?
0:18:30 > 0:18:34The difference between modern and Victorian photography
0:18:34 > 0:18:37is they used a lot of chemicals and they're quite hazardous,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41in some cases, such as silver bromide, and if you get on your skin,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43it will stain your hand black.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48- What would the photographer be able to see? Can you show me that?- Yes.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53- Right, OK.- If you look under it, you can see that?- Yeah, I can see that.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- It's actually quite clear. - And as you can see,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00one of the features of the Victorian camera is it does actually
0:19:00 > 0:19:03reverse the image, making it upside down.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- How very confusing!- I know.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- You're going to work under tremendous difficulties.- Indeed.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14You're going to try and take this photograph using the old camera.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Where do you think this was taken?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I don't believe the picture was taken here.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I think it was taken in a more awkward location, on the battlements.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26'Heading up to our vantage point, Alex and I
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'can now get a view of the castle just as Frith did.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32'We're going head-to-head -
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'Alex with his Victorian camera and me with my modern one,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37'to see who gets the shot first.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:40'I sense I'm in with a chance here!'
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Are you ready?- I'm ready, yes. - We're going to time it.- Yes.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- 30 seconds, it's going to take me. - OK, off you go.- OK?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56I've taken mine ages ago. We have to wait now, 30 seconds.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59But they would have taken...
0:19:59 > 0:20:04I understand that sometimes the process would have taken six hours.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09- That's right.- At least we've done that now. OK. Well done.- Thank you.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13'Alex develops the image on the glass plate
0:20:13 > 0:20:15'in his makeshift darkroom.
0:20:17 > 0:20:23'He fixes the image using potassium cyanide.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28'Turning the glass plate around, the image appears the right way up.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32'From setting up his camera to producing the negative plate
0:20:32 > 0:20:35'has taken Alex the best part of an hour.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'I took my photo in less than a second.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41'For a black and white print,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44'the glass plate would be laid onto specially coated paper.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47'But that would have to be done elsewhere.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49'What a long, drawn-out business!'
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Now then, what am are going to do? I'm going to press a button.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And it might work.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'It was interesting to see how Frith
0:21:01 > 0:21:05'would have taken his pictures, but it's so much easier now.'
0:21:11 > 0:21:15The advantage of taking the same photograph as Frith did
0:21:15 > 0:21:18is we can see how much work went into this
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and how much expertise in the technology of the time.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26And it makes you really appreciate the Frith photographer
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and his skill when you compare it with this.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35It's not the same. He's had to work really hard and I pressed a button.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But it still makes me proud of my picture.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47For our last Frith photograph today, we don't have to travel far.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49The picture is of Stirling Bridge,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53for centuries a key crossing point over the River Forth.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And once, an important Customs bridge.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Taxes on goods and livestock were collected here.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I'm heading to the spot where Frith's picture was taken,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to meet local historian John Harrison.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08He knows how strategically important the bridge was
0:22:08 > 0:22:10to Scotland in the past.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13So why is it so important to cross at this point?
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Because the river is tidal, this is the lowest possible bridging point.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20You have ferocious currents going up and down here.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24If you want to get a medieval army across this river,
0:22:24 > 0:22:25then you need a bridge.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29If there's any army coming either from or to the Highlands,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31they've got to cross this bridge.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Exactly. There were alternatives,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38but they were more difficult and this would always be a favoured option.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- The most famous battle here was the Battle of Stirling Bridge.- Indeed.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44In 1297, an English army attempting
0:22:44 > 0:22:50to reassert English control in Scotland foolishly crossed the bridge
0:22:50 > 0:22:55from this side to the north side.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The Scots sweep down, the English were cut off,
0:22:59 > 0:23:00unable to defend themselves,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and the English were defeated by the army of William Wallace.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Why do you think the Frith photographer took this picture?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It was an important historic bridge and people are coming
0:23:11 > 0:23:14to Stirling largely because of its ancient history.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17They'd be aware of the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21And the military significance of Stirling. They want to see that.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24And it's an interesting structure as well.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The stone Stirling Bridge that stands here today was built
0:23:27 > 0:23:32in the 15th century and remains an impressive architectural structure.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33The tidal fast-running river Forth
0:23:33 > 0:23:37has always set challenges for Scottish engineers.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Even to this day, experts have been wrestling with new ideas
0:23:41 > 0:23:44of getting people to and fro, along the waterways
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and coming up with some radical ideas.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The Victorian period was a boom time for Scottish engineers.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56They had plenty of self-confidence and lots of projects.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Nowadays, there aren't so many opportunities,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04but every now and then, you come across a terrific example
0:24:04 > 0:24:08of Scottish engineering design and we're going to one of them.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12If you travel a short distance from Stirling Bridge,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16you'll find the Falkirk Wheel - a rotating boat lift
0:24:16 > 0:24:21which connects two canals between the Forth and Clyde rivers.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It opened in 2002 and replaced a series of 11 locks
0:24:25 > 0:24:28that previously connected the waterways.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Falkirk Wheel mechanic Phil Martin
0:24:31 > 0:24:33is enthusiastic about its radical design.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- How exactly does it work?- What you can see there is an aqueduct,
0:24:37 > 0:24:42which is full of water, and the boats come along to this dead end.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46We have to get the boat from that top canal down onto this basin here.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- How high is that? - That's about 30 metres high.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54It's a wheel that has a gondola which you can see at the top and another
0:24:54 > 0:24:59at the bottom and the boat moves into that gondola and the whole structure
0:24:59 > 0:25:03rotates through 180 degrees, so that the boat is transferred
0:25:03 > 0:25:07from the top aqueduct into the bottom basin and into the canal.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Right. So how much power do you need just to make this change?
0:25:11 > 0:25:17Actually, it's very small. Equivalent to boiling eight kettles of water.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- Really? - It's about 1.5 kilowatt hours.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24If you're on a canal boat, where are you coming from,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27where you've got to use this in order to go that way?
0:25:27 > 0:25:31The canal that comes to this end starts in Edinburgh.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So from Edinburgh, you can come all the way to Falkirk,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38through the wheel and then on to the canal, the Forth and Clyde,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40which takes you all the way to Glasgow.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42'The Wheel's simple but clever design
0:25:42 > 0:25:44'is based on perfectly balancing
0:25:44 > 0:25:48'the two gondolas that carry the boats.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:51In the days when there were 11 locks here,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55it would have taken the best part of a day to navigate this section.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Now, using the Falkirk Wheel,
0:25:58 > 0:26:03a boat can be through here in just 15 minutes. Amazing!
0:26:03 > 0:26:07- Half a million visitors come here every year.- Just here, yes.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12When you built this, did you expect it to be a tourist attraction?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Initially, it was a lock replacement.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19When we realised that people love to come here,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24we developed the visitor centre and turned it into an attraction,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26so people could take a journey on it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Had the Falkirk Wheel been here 150 years ago, I've no doubt
0:26:31 > 0:26:36it would have attracted the attention of Francis Frith.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's a striking bit of engineering.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's attracting plenty of sightseers.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43And like the bridge in the photo,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47I feel quite sure it's going to have its place in Scottish history.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49So I don't have much choice this time.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52My photo has to be of the Falkirk Wheel.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Right. I'm going to try and get a bit of the old, the canal boat,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03in the picture and this wonderful modern structure
0:27:03 > 0:27:07to show how it's a funny old canal boat,
0:27:07 > 0:27:12but it needs a fantastically modern structure to move it up and down.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It is the old and the modern, I hope,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18brought together in one picture.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24The shape of the Wheel takes you by surprise. A pleasant surprise.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Distinctive and challenging.
0:27:28 > 0:27:34My photograph this time is in sharp contrast to the Frith photograph.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37That is a bridge that takes you back 500 years.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This takes you all the way back to a millennium project.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44The contrast, I think, makes the point.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Building, building bridges,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51building structures that move canal boats up and down,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55it has a kind of fascination and I think I've got that.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03To find out more about Britain's First Photo Album, go to...
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Next time, I'll be continuing my photographic tour of Frith's Britain
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and travelling to the northeast of England and to Hartlepool,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19where things go off with a bang.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Terrific!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I'll be finding out what lurked in the iron mines of Cleveland.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29When you were a miner, how often would you come across a rat?
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Every day. All the time.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33And I'll be taking one of the pictures
0:28:33 > 0:28:35that I'm particularly proud of.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd