A Thomas Annan photograph of a portrait of James Smith of Jordanhill (1782-1867). The painting was by Sir John Watson Gordon.
Smith was a merchant who became best known as the father of yachting on the River Clyde. He was one of the first members of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club and won several competitions in his youth. He was also fascinated by nature and geology. He was a member of the Royal Society, the Geological Society and the Royal Geographical Society of London, and he was a president of the Geological and Archaeological Societies of Glasgow and of the Andersonian University.
He made a number of voyages to the Arctic. His knowledge of the area led subsequent pioneers to name various uncharted parts of Greenland as Cape James and Jordanhill Island in his honour.
Reference: Mitchell Library, GC 920.041435 COR
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
Anderson's College, Anderson's University, Andersonian University, Archaeological Society of Glasgow, Arctic, Geological Society, Geological Society of Glasgow, geology, merchants, portraits, River Clyde, Royal Clyde Yacht Club, Royal Geographical Society of London, Royal Society, yachting
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