"Dovenby Hall" and "Madagascar" in Dundee Harbour - Ref: WC0862
The "Madagascar" was a four masted steel barque with a gross tonnage of 2145 and measuring 282 feet in length; the "Dovenby Hall!" was an iron three masted ship with a gross tonnage of 2069 and was 280 feet in length. She was built in 1885 at Newcastle.
The "Dovenby Hall" arrived in Dundee on 10th May 1889 from Calcutta with a cargo of 1998 tons of jute, while the "Madagascar" arrived three days later from Chittagong with 2000 tons.
The "Dovenby Hall" has clearly been unloaded and cleaned (perhaps even repainted), while the "Madagascar" still shows signs of sea damage and is lying quite low in the water, so may still be waiting to discharge her cargo.
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.