The George Washington Wilson Centre brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines with an interest in art and visual culture. Its members share a common concern in investigating art and visual culture: what it is; how it functions across different times, places and contexts; how we encounter or understand it. The Centre facilitates a range of activities fostering collaborative research into art and visual culture, including a regular seminar series; an interdisciplinary reading group; international conferences; and public engagement events.
The Centre takes its name from George Washington Wilson, the renowned Aberdeen-based Victorian photographer. The entire collection of George Washington Wilson’s photographic plates is held by the University Library. It is searchable and viewable online through the University’s photographic database. The University’s photography collection also includes the archive of the Aberdeen Harbour Board [Aberdeen Harbour Board Collection | Special Collections | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)], which captures the development of Aberdeen as a major port from the 1880s to the 1930s.
The University Museums and Special Collections Search the Collections | University Museums | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk) are an outstanding resource and are recognised as of national significance by the Scottish Government. Originating in the eighteenth century, they now have over 300,000 items across a wide range of Human Culture, Medicine and Health, and Natural History.