Alexander Crawford Lamb died Thursday April 29th 1897 from angina. He was born 24th February 1843 in
Dundee. He was educated at Dundee High School.
On leaving school he completed an apprenticeship in the baking and confectionary trade, moving onto hotel
management which was initiated at Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh
His father Thomas Lamb, was founder of Lamb's Temperance Hotel. Of which two properties were owned, one
in the Murraygate and the other in Reform Street. The Murraygate property was given up in 1828.
Following his fathers death in 1869, Mr A.C. Lamb took over the Reform Street establishment.
Early in his life he became collector of paintings, which adorned the walls of his private library. A library which in
itself contained some rare volumes, including a complete copy of the first Kilmarnock edition of Burn's poems,
and many first prints of the works of Scott, Dickens and Ruskin
During the time of improvements to the city of Dundee, brought about by a need to improve public health under
the then new Improvement Act.
Mr Lamb wished to preserve a record of what was soon to be a bygone age. He taught himself the use of a
camera, and with this took pictures of the older structures that were doomed.
He also sort to source drawings of structures that had already since been demolished.
Also included in the collection were items relating to Dundee's evolving trade and commerce.
In due course the collection was put on public display as an exhibition of "Old Dundee". It came to a point that Mr
Lamb was working night and day cataloguing and arranging the exhibits. For his labours and interest at that time
Mr Lamb was presented with an album, which contained a series of photographs.
The photographs showed scenes taken from various points of view within the exhibition. Within the album was
written the following :-
"Presented to Alexander C. Lamb Esq., by the Hon Lord Provost, on behalf of the citizens of Dundee, in grateful
acknowledgement of the successful projection and organisation in 1892-93 of the "Old Dundee" exhibition, and
also invaluable service, involving much patient labour, rendered during a period of 20 years in the elucidation of the
ancient history of Dundee, and in the acquisition at great personal expense of a marvellous collection - pictorial,
typographical, and industrial - illustrating its history, which in all probability would otherwise of been lost, and
which, with much public-spiritedness, he has always readily placed at the service of his fellow citizens."
Following this event a book was published, "Dundee: Its Quaint and Historic Buildings".
Within this volume there were numerous plates of antique and picturesque buildings, drawn by Mr William Gibb, an
Edinburgh artist; Early maps dating from the 13th to 18th century; and plans of the burgh in olden times.
In 1878 Mr Lamb was elected a member of the Society of Antiquaries, and when the status of Dundee was
changed to that of a county Mr Lamb was made a Justice of the Peace.
He also became a member of the Fine Arts Committee, of the Graphic Arts Association, of Edinburgh
Bibliographical Society. Mr Lamb also acted as treasurer of the Burn's Society.
Mr Lamb who was 54 years of age at the time of his passing left a widow and a family of two sons and four
daughters.
A large part of the Lamb collection can still be viewed today and is kept within the Local History section at
Dundee's Central Library in the Wellgate centre.
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