In the 1930s street photography was very popular and there were many street photographers operating in Scottish cities. These commercial photographers would post themselves on busy thoroughfares of towns and cities taking snaps of the pedestrians as they passed by.

In Edinburgh, North Bridge was a popular location. It is probable that there would have been a kiosk or shop nearby where you could later purchase the photograph – or quite often a strip of photographs – of yourself. As most people would not have owned a camera at the time these candid snaps were a novel keepsake.

The business of street photography appears to have continued up until the 1960s, although by this time the location was no longer the high street but the main promenade of some seaside resort.