Hi Prue
I'm not sure I can answer your question re Penny, photographer, Huntly, however, I have several CDVs by John Penny and George Penny.
In an effort to ascertain when these gentlemen were operating as photographers, I 'wasted' some credits on Scotlands People to find out about them (no, if you are interested in family history research, credits are never wasted!).
George Penny died at age 62, apparently retired, his residence 2 Bogie Street, Huntly. He had been married twice.
In the valuation rolls, George Penny appears as having a photographic studio at Duke Street Huntly, in the years 1885, 1895 and 1905. I can see he appears to be living at Bogie Street in some of these valuation rolls, but haven't noted which years.
In the census records, in 1871 there is a John Penny, photographer, aged 29, unmarried, a boarder at 75 Bogie Street, born Cruden. No sign of a John Penny with a studio on the valuation rolls around this time.
In the census records of 1881, there is George Penny, photographer, living at 2 Old Road Huntly, aged 36, also born Cruden, widowed, with his son George, 8 and John, 6. There is also a housekeeper at this point.
In the census records of 1891, George Penny is living at 2 Bogie Street, aged 46, noted born Cruden, photographer, now remarried to Jane, along with son John 17, unmarried, a grocers apprentice, son Robert, aged 7, James 6, dau Bella,4,son William 2 and dau Jane 7 months, along with nephew Charles Smith, masons apprentice, aged 18.
I haven't so far been able to track down a directory which has Huntly in it.
I am a bit perplexed at to why I can't find John Penny on the valuation rolls, yet he has a business name and logo. He wasn't married in 1871 so was still boarding with another family. It looks as if John Penny and George Penny may have been brothers given their respectives ages and the fact they both were born in Cruden. I did wonder if John was also called George or vice versa, and they might have been the same person but ages on the census records seem to dispute this. George's father was also called John, according to his death certificate, so I suppose it is possible but unlikely. You would hardly start a business using one name and then continue using another, you would think.
I attach screen shots of the reverse of the CDVs I have. There is at least one post on the forum regarding indicators of the time period a CDV was done.
I would be interested to see your CDVs - who knows, we might have some of the same!
Please direct message me if you wish.
