John Adamson

He was curator of the Literary and Philosophical Society Museum at St Andrews from 1838 until his death.

John Adamson studied at University of Edinburgh and University of St Andrews. The recorded working language is English. Employment is recorded with University of St Andrews. Work by John Adamson is recorded in the collections of J. Paul Getty Museum.

• Name — John Adamson • Born — 12 December 1809 • Birthplace — St Andrews, Fife, Scotland • Place of death — Dulnain Bridge, Moray, Scotland • Occupation — * Physician • Photographer • Physicist • Lecturer • Museum curator • Known for — First calotype portrait in Scotland • Relatives — Robert Adamson (brother) John Adamson (12 December 1809 – 11 August 1870) was a Scottish physician, pioneer photographer, physicist, lecturer and museum curator. He was a highly respected figure in St Andrews, and was responsible for producing the first calotype portrait in Scotland in 1841. He taught the process to his brother, the famous pioneering photographer Robert Adamson. He was curator of the Literary and Philosophical Society Museum at St Andrews from 1838 until his death.

Adamson was born in St Andrews, and grew up in Burnside, the eldest of 10 children born to Alexander Adamson, a Fife farmer and his wife, Rachael Melville. • Illustration — Adamson, circa 1845 Adamson was educated in the University of St Andrews and University of Edinburgh, qualifying with a licentiate diploma (LRCS) from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1829. He moved to Paris, where he opened up a practice and was then employed as a ship's surgeon on a voyage to China. He returned to St Andrews in 1835, where he set up practice permanently. Adamson became heavily involved with Brewster at the university, studying the calotype and also became a lecturer and curator of the university museum. The older brother of pioneering photographer Robert Adamson, it was John who produced the first calotype portrait in Scotland at the Royal Museum in Edinburgh in May 1841 (various sources also say May 1840 or May 1842), with his close associate, physicist David Brewster of the University of St Andrews. Adamson "discovered how to control a process that remained remarkably difficult." John was also responsible for educating Robert in the process which he later used to produce some 2500 calotypes with David Octavius Hill between 1843 and 1848. Through Brewster, Adamson was in close contact with Henry Fox Talbot who invented the process. He obtained a Master's Degree in 1843. He was also a member and the curator of the St Andrews Literary and Philosophical Society museum from 1838 until his death. Adamson died in Dulnain Bridge, Moray in 1870. He married Esther Christina Alexander in 1850. Their children included Esther Hamilton Proctor Adamson (1856–1929), John Adamson Jr., Robert Oswald Adamson and Alexander Archibald Adamson. His daughter Esther married Rev. William Weir Tulloch, the son of John Tulloch, principal of St Andrews University.

The authorities additionally record the headings Dr. Adamson and John Dr. His recorded language was English. One child is recorded: Robert Oswald Adamson.

John Adamson is recorded as photographer and physicist.