"Falls of Afton" or "Falls of Dee" in Dundee Harbour - Ref: WC0938
Unfortunately, this photograph by Alexander Wilson of a magnificently painted four masted sailing ship has survived without any detailed information. The row of sheds behind could be any of several in the harbour.
The four masted sailing ship was undoubtedly at Dundee with a cargo of jute from either Chittagong, in what today is Bangladesh, or Calcutta. The round trip generally took a year, with about 200 days spent at sea.
The jute industry brought huge wealth to Dundee at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. The city's other industries included whaling, which provided a rich source of oil, one of the essentials in the treatment of raw jute.
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.