Photographer Angus Bathgate celebrated at museum exhibition

The display of his work will run from this Thursday until Saturday, September 28.

Mr Bathgate, from Wallyford, died in April at the age of 85.

READ MORE: Tributes after death of Wallyford amateur photographer Angus Bathgate

The Bathgate family were contacted by Alister Hadden, chair of the Musselburgh Museum & Heritage Group, in June.

East Lothian amateur photographer Angus Bathgate (Image: Contributed)

He told them that the trustees had agreed a proposal to stage an exhibition of Mr Bathgate’s photos at the museum on the town’s High Street.

The family were “thrilled to have this wonderful opportunity to showcase his work”.

After Mr Bathgate retired in 2008, he developed his passion for photography, eventually amassing more than 109,000 images that captured a wide range of subjects, from landscapes taken all over East Lothian to community events like the Musselburgh Festival, the remembrance service at Crookston War Memorial and Wallyford Children’s Gala.

The family had the challenging task of deciding which photos to display from Mr Bathgate’s vast gallery.

Another challenge for them was how to organise the photos into themes or categories, as some images could fit into more than one. They also aimed to restrict the photos to the local area, although they have included in the exhibition a few photos from further afield.

'In Focus – A Photographic Exhibition by Angus Bathgate' features about 130 photos, subtitled ‘Scenes from Musselburgh and Surrounds’.

There are eight broad themes: The Honest Toun, Scenes and Landscapes, Flora and Fauna, Community Events, Seasons, Buildings and Sculptures, and a special theme called Projects. This includes related photos of, for example, the demolition of Cockenzie Power Station and the construction and installation of community sculptures like the Wallyford Pug (a short steam engine which transported coal and bricks to a train on the main East Coast rail line), the Musselburgh shell and the fibreglass whale jawbones destined for North Berwick Law.

The final category features a small selection of photos of Mr Bathgate himself, capturing key moments from his life – from his youth and time in the merchant navy to his career in precision engineering and his post-retirement emergence as a “visual storyteller”.

Heather Nicolson Bathgate and her brother Colin Bathgate were "thrilled" to be asked to showcase their late father's work at Musselburgh Museum. (Image: Contributed)

“This is how he was described in the invitation letter to the opening of the new Wallyford Primary School, which is also included in the display,” said his daughter Heather Nicolson Bathgate, who curated the exhibition with her brother Colin.

In a joint statement, the family said: “We’re delighted to have been given the opportunity to put on this exhibition and grateful to the trustees of Musselburgh Museum.

"Angus was well liked by so many people and we think this is a great tribute not just to his photos but to the man himself.

“Angus was a modest man but he took great pleasure in seeing others engage with his photos.

"He would have been delighted to know that so many people will have the opportunity to appreciate his passion for photography.”