Dundee Harbour and Docks - Ref: WC0951
This etching shows people standing on one of the piers in Dundee Harbour looking towards the Old Steeple in the middle distance. The various ships in the harbour are relatively small and are most likely whaling ships.
The Dundee whaling fleet, comprising several different companies, sailed to the waters of the Davis Straits and Greenland in search of various whales (the black was the most sought after), as well as walrus and seals, who provided oil, bone and skins.
The oil obtained from this source was put to various uses, most important of which was to be the jute industry, which transformed the city into one of the country's leading industrial centres.
Alexander Wilson who took this photograph, was a supervisor in a Dundee jute mill for over 20 years. He bequeathed much of his collection and £50, to cover the costs involved, to the Free Library Committee of Dundee in 1923.