A Dundee man received a “delightful surprise” when he picked up a family history resource leaflet and spotted his mother on the front cover.
Earl Scott (71), who volunteers as a guide at Verdant Works and Discovery Point in the city, was stunned to see his mother Isabella smiling from the front of the Tayroots leaflet.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Earl, who used to be a cashier at James Scott & Sons in Dundee.
“There was my mother, when she must have been about 20, smiling happily for the camera.
“It was a delightful surprise to see her image on the leaflet.
“I spoke to a member of the Tayroots team, who explained that the photo had been selected from Dundee Library’s archive collection of photographs of local celebrities, which my mother certainly was.”
Isabella, or Ella, Kinmond was known for her skills on the piano and was a medal winner at the Perth, Arbroath and Dundee music festivals.
“It was often said that my mother could make the piano talk a talent she put to great use by providing the musical accompaniment for the silent movies at several Dundee cinemas,” Earl added.
Librarians discovered through library records that the photograph featured in the Tayroots leaflet was taken at Dundee Music Festival on May 29, 1929.
Ella is standing beside her friend Grace Alexander in the photograph and the pair had just completed their performance of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in A Minor.
According to the notes accompanying the photo, the judges, Dr C. H. Moody and Mr Shaw, both enjoyed the performance.
Sheila Faichney, marketing officer with Angus Council, said that it was just by chance that they happened to choose Ella’s face to zoom in on for the leaflet.
“It was just a fluke that we found this image and chose Ella’s face for the close-up.
“She has a lovely, open, gentle face and that was why it made it on to the leaflet.Emotive”Tracing family history is a very emotive thing for individuals and it was great to see Earl’s reaction to finding this photograph of his mother.”
In 1937, Ella married Earl Scott, a cellist, and they had one son, who was named after his father.
Ella continued to play the piano and compose music, and during the second world war, she wrote Onward To Victory for the war effort and donated the royalties to the Red Cross.
“When the war ended, my parents formed the Earl Scott Trio with my father’s friend Alec Fenton, who was a gifted violinist, and they played at functions throughout Angus and Perthshire,” said Earl.
“Weekly band practice would either be at our home in Park Road or Alec’s home in Clepington Road, so I was brought up surrounded by music.”
Earl’s wife, Moira (70), also shares his keen interest in singing and acting.
Their two children and grandchildren are also very musical.
“I’m really chuffed to now have a framed picture of my mum when she was younger to hang up on my wall,” said Earl.
“It was quite a find.”
Tayroots is a genealogical resource available to people for researching family history.