Lot 322 - The Old Tom Morris Photograph Collection Thomas Rodger of St Andrews
Probably the best known and innovative Scottish golf photographer. Active in St Andrews from 1849 to 1883, his pioneering work in processing and development have given us some of the earliest golfing images in existence. Photograph attributed to Thomas Rodger. A number of his images, dating from the 1850’s and 60s were reproduced in H.S.C. Everard’s “A
History of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club St Andrews 1754-1900.” (1907).
Born in 1833, the son of a moderately successful artist and painter, he was apprenticed at 14 to James Philp, chemist and druggist in St Andrews. Completing his medical education in the local surgery of Dr Thomas Malcolm, he was then appointed assistant to pioneering photographer, Dr John Adamson at St Andrews University. It was here that Rodger would often assist his mentor in his early photographic experiments. With the death of his brother, Robert in 1848, Dr Adamson chose to concentrate more on his medical practice and urged his youthful assistant to continue his photographic work and set himself up as a professional studio photographer in the town. At 16, possibly with financial help from Adamson, Rodger established his first studio in New York Cottage, Lade Braes before moving to the Pends. In 1862, he moved to College Gate in North Street before making his final move to larger premises in St Mary’s Place, Market Street in 1867. There, in between publishing a moderately successful collection of photographs entitled: ‘A Souvenir of St Andrews’ around 1855 and ‘The Kingdom of Fife’ in 1864-5, he photographed a number of golf professionals/caddies from the town. Today, his early studio portraits of Allan Robertson for example, remain the only ‘true’ image we have of golfs’ first professional, (Proving a surprisingly popular photograph - especially in the period immediately following Robertson’s death from jaundice in 1859 - Rodger is also known to have produced an engraving of the photograph to sell to the public.) In later years, Sir Hugh Lyon- Playfair, an influential member of the Royal and Ancient, became a close friend and supporter of Rodger no doubt because he often appeared in his early photographs. Having also taken studio photographs of both Tom Morris Senior and Junior, Davie Strath and others, many of the best known early group images taken over the Old Course can be credited to Rodger. His business was continued by his son, George Berwick Rodger after his father’s premature death in 1883 aged 50. It lasted almost two-decades, finally closing around 1921. Rodger was interred in the Cathedral grounds, at a funeral attended by over 300. Among the awards he won was the Aberdeen Mechanic’s Institute Medal in 1853, the Scottish Society of Art’s Medal in 1854, the Edinburgh Photographic Society’s Medal in 1856 and the International Photographic Exhibition Medal in 1877. Sadly, much of his early work, golfing or otherwise, was destroyed or lost in the subsequent clearance which followed the decline of the business. Today a plaque remembering his, and other early photographers work, stands on the Market Street sight not far from the Old Course.
Young Tom’s final days and death.
William Park Snr. and his brother Mungo played a much publicised challenge match against Tom Morris Snr. and Tom Morris Jnr. over the West Links at North Berwick on 4 September. The Morris father and son partnership led by four holes after the first two rounds and retained their advantage well into the third. The Parks then made a dramatic comeback and pulled the match back to all square with two to play. Watched by a large crowd, the Morris‘s won the penultimate hole and halved the last to win. Sadly the celebrations were short-lived when match referee Provost Peter Brodie received a telegram giving the news that Young Tom’s wife was seriously ill following the birth of their first child. Passing it to Old Tom, they immediately set sail for St Andrews across the Firth of Forth in a sloop loaned by North Berwick member, John C. B. Lewis. But before they left, a second telegram arrived bearing the news that Tom’s wife and child had both died. However, Old Tom did not break this news until they were in sight of St Andrews harbour. Tommy then rushed to his wife Margaret‘s bedside shouting. ”It‘s not true, it‘s not true!” The Reverend Doctor Boyd, who attended the family, wrote later: “I have seen many sorrowful sights, but not many like that Saturday night.”
Tom Morris Jnr. played his final round of golf on 30 November at St Andrews. Since the tragic death of his wife and child in early September, he had played a number of matches but had shown little interest in their outcome. He was then challenged to a high stakes match by Arthur Molesworth, an amateur from Royal North Devon. Hoping that it would lift his melancholy, his friends persuaded him to take up the Englishman‘s boastful challenge. Taking place over six days, with two rounds a day, for a prize of £100, Molesworth received a handicap of six strokes per round. Watched by a large crowd, the final three days were played in freezing conditions which saw many of the greens swept for snow. It was suggested the match be postponed but Molesworth was determined to continue despite being many holes behind. At his insistence, the remaining six rounds were played despite Tommy winning everyone one. (He later admitted that he would have gladly given up if not for the money wagered on the match by his friends and backers.) Many years later W.W. Tulloch noted that: “it was evident to all that Tommy was in no condition to play the match. His play lacked all its old characteristics of spirit and determination…” Exhausted by the match, he was believed to have gone to his bed and fell into a severe melancholy. He would never play golf again.
Still mourning the death of his wife and child a few months earlier and still in a neglected physical state, Tom Morris Jnr. died on 25 December. The evening before, he had dined with friends before leaving for home shortly before midnight. Bidding his mother and father a good night he retired to his room and was not seen alive again. He did not appear for breakfast the next morning and was found by his father lying dead on his bed – the victim of a pulmonary embolism. Giving rise to the legend that he had died of a broken heart, he was aged just 24.
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