These pages are dedicated to the memory of Dr Alexander Wilson (Later Regius Professor of Astronomy) of Glasgow University

Alexander Wilson 1714-86

© The Hunterian, University of Glasgow 2012.

and his student, Thomas Melvill, for their pioneering work, in 1749, on the use of kites as an aerial platform for scientific research.

See also kite aerial photography pioneers Arthur Batut, R. Thiele, ,William Abner Eddy (360 degree panoramas) and George Lawrence (2). E. Douglas Archibald (1897) is often credited as the first kite aerial photographer but any pre-Batut images (as far as we know) have not been verified or published. Following normal scientific practice, credit should therefore go to Arthur Batut. Henry Wellcome was using kite aerial photography on an archaeological site around 1913.

Honorary Member

James Gentles

Website  Galleries  Innovation  Photographic Service

James has provided an inspirational lead in the low-level aerial photography of West Lothian and has demonstrated excellence and innovation in the field of kite aerial photography.

Trustees

Jim Knowles FSA Scot

Trust Archaeologist and Secretary

Responsible for archaeology and associated sciences

Linlithgow

jimwlatrust.org.uk

Archaeology, geophysics and kite aerial photography

Jim's first degree is in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Bradford. He then undertook a a postgraduate degree in computing to extend his knowledge of computational programming. Jim has worked as a professional archaeologist for a number of years. His varied career has undertaken all aspects of archaeological field work across many different areas, from prehistoric, battlefield and industrial archaeology. Jim has a specialist knowledge of archaeological prospection, including the use of magnetic, earth resistance, ground penetrating radar and chemical methods to detect and identify archaeological areas of interest. Also, he has a interest in scientific analysis, including chemical and metallurgical, and in computer use, including 3D modelling, database manipulation, spatial information use and programming.

Since leaving the professional world of archaeology, Jim has taken up employment as a support worker for autistic adults (http://www.autisminitiatives.org/) across the West Lothian region and continues his interest in archaeology and related subjects through the community group's activities.

John Wells FSA Scot

Trust Chairman  

Armadale

Kite aerial and broad spectrum photography

John is a graduate of the universities of Warwick, Salford and Oxford (Corpus Christi College). After leaving Oxford, and until retirement, he was a radiation research scientist at Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories in Gloucestershire. John's primary interest is in developing, and promoting, cost-effective techniques of archaeological/heritage photography in a community context, from the near ultra-violet through to the thermal infra-red.

johnwlatrust.org.uk

Cade Wells

Trustee

Machine vision and emerging technologies

Cade's first degree was an MEng in Computer Systems Engineering from Bangor, Wales. His EngD was awarded jointly by the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot Watt and Strathclyde for his work on machine vision. Director at Cenric Consulting Ltd and Chartered Electronic Systems Engineer.

cadeWestLothianArchaeology.org.uk

Ron Dingwall

Bathgate

Kite aerial photography, local history and SNAPS in primary schools

Ron is a retired West Lothian primary school teacher and Chairman of the History of Armadale Association.

Bronwen Knowles

Linlithgow

Kite flying

Bronwen assists with Group kite aerial photography sessions, flying the kites with cameras attached.  Bronwen assesses kites suitable for children and works with young children at public events.

Brian Wilkinson

Linlithgow

Archaeology, education, interpretation and aerial photography

Brian is a Linlithgow based archaeologist specialising in rural settlement, community archaeology, historic environment education and interpretation.

bri.wilkinsongmail.com

Members outside West Lothian

Kieran Baxter

Dundee

Kite aerial photography, digital media, animation and visualisation

Kieran graduated with a BA first class honours in animation and went on to complete an MSc with distinction in visualisation, with a project based on KAP and structure from motion photogrammetry. He is currently a PhD student at the University of Dundee investigating the role of the creative practitioner within heritage representation. In his research, Kieran uses his own practice as a KAPer and digital media artist, reflecting on his influences within photography and film as well as querying how successfully a creative approach sits alongside an archaeological understanding of the subject matter.

Alan Hunter Blair

Edinburgh

Archaeology and kite aerial photography

David Connolly

East Lothian

Archaeology, BAJR and kite aerial photography

Susie Green

London

Kite aerial photography and Structure from Motion

Susie has a first class degree in photography and an MPhil in 3D Graphics from the Digital Design Studio, both Glasgow School of Art. After 12 years working as a 3D video game artist for Sony she returned to university to study archaeology at UCL, where she completed an MSc with distinction in GIS and Spatial Analysis for Archaeology. She is now working on a PhD, looking at the use of Structure from Motion as a tool for Archaeological research. This involves, among other subjects, the use of Kite Aerial Photography to create orthogonal images and elevation models of archaeological sites.

Mark Houshold

Kite aerial photography and archaeology

Just completing a BSc in Archaeology (already has BSc in Prosthetics 1993). Specialising in near east dessert KAP, mainly for the dept of Antiques and Museums in Kuwait. If all goes well he should be continuing with a Research Masters using KAP as a source of images for producing maps of Early Christian, Islamic, Bronze Age and Hellenistic sites on Failaka Is. in the north of the Gulf. He has also used KAP and Helikite photography to support research projects over the last two years for Durham University in Spain, Kuwait, Nepal (in conjunction with UNESCO and National Geographic Magazine), Ukraine, Bulgaria and UK. In July (2013), he will be working at the Badgendon Oppida (Cirencester) to combine gradiometer surveys with aerial photography (similar to other work he has completed in Nepal, producing background images for ground penetrating radar surveys) and then having a week or so at Silchester for Reading University.

David Stott

Group Consultant

Leeds

Archaeology, scientific research and kite aerial photography

Researcher with the multidisciplinary, multi-centre, DART Project, based at Leeds University. David models contrast formation parameters for archaeological deposits in hyper-spectral data and is a graduate of the universities of Glasgow (Archaeology) and Edinburgh (GIS).

Heidi Walker

Group Illustrator

Paganhill

Illustration and kite aerial photography

After preliminary courses at The Slade and Stroud Art School, Heidi graduated with a first class honours degree in Illustration (with John Hullah Award) from the University of the West of England. She completed her studies with a Masters in Sequential Design and Illustration from Brighton University. Heidi works as Design Manager at Meri Meri.

Group members Heidi Walker, James Gentles, Kieran Baxter, Rosie and John at Kieran's MSc presentation in Dundee.   August 2012

Forum Members of the West Lothian Archaeology Group

with their interests

Although there are established bodies for recording new archaeological sites and data, we thought that it would be useful to set up a webpage with the contact details of interested individuals and where queries and information could be posted for preliminary consideration and discussion if needed.

Forum members are individuals and organisations who have an interest in the archaeology of West Lothian (buildings, 'sites of ', estates, local history, field work, documentation, maps, geology, technology etc). This list will not be selective, but it will reflect those who can provide and/or wish to be kept informed of archaeological matters. In this way, we hope to encourage the exchange of information, to raise the profile and knowledge-base of West Lothian's archaeology.

The West Lothian Archaeology Group will apply photographic and non-invasive geophysical techniques to investigate sites.  The use of kite aerial photography is a primary interest.

Contact Rosie if you would like to be listed

Christine McPherson Interest: Field archaeology.  cemcp80operamail.com

John Garth Wilkinson Preston-born, he trained as a linguist, graduating from the Universities of Birmingham and Granada with a degree in Spanish and French, and gaining post-graduate educational qualifications in Sheffield and Edinburgh (Moray House). His lifelong interest in art urged him to switch to primary, where he taught in Lothian for over twelve years before going freelance as artist, photographer and writer in 1985 and working for a number of puppet companies in Scotland, England and Spain as designer and translator. He was a founder member of West Lothian Artists. He began learning Welsh and studying British mythology as background to a fantasy work he was writing: this developed into an interest in place-names, and he wrote, illustrated and published West Lothian Place-names in 1992 (afterwards online at www.cyberscotia\west-lothian-place-names) with later articles in Nomina and in Scottish Place-Name Society publications. He spent over a decade building up a circumstantial case for Cairnpapple’s being ‘The Middle Sanctuary’: the site known to the Romans as Medionemetum. This developed into four volumes (c2000 pages) based initially on place-names and mythology but rapidly expanding into many fields. Since early retirement from part-time art teaching in 2007, he has dedicated most of his spare time to a comprehensive updating of his place-name works (forthcoming). He is a member of West Lothian Writers (with some poetry and prose published in the Ironstone magazines) and cartoonist-in-residence for The Harburn Times. johngarthwilkinsonhotmail.co.uk

Kinneil Fortlet, Antonine Wall, Bo'ness (Formerly in West Lothian)  Near IR KAP

Local Organisations

West Lothian History and Amenity Society  New