Photograph of a painting by Duncan MacGregor-Whyte ca 1910
Colour photograph of an oil painting of two women by Duncan MacGregor-Whyte who had a studio at Balephuil in the early 1900s and painted many Tiree people. The woman holding the toy rabbit is probably his wife, Mary Barnard, also an accomplished artist who opened `The Bunny Shop` in Oban.
Research sent in by the current owner of Duncan MacGregor-Whyte and Mary Barnard’s Tiree home, The Studio, Balephuil:
I have been conducting some on line search regarding the Bunny Shop which Mary Barnard operated in Oban. Although she died in 1946 I vaguely remember that it was open during a holiday the family spent in Oban/Benderloch in 1952/1953. My google led me to the website “Mary Wheelhouse (1867-1947)- Women Who Meant Business” who was a renowned entrepreneur who founded Panoma Toys . During the 1920’s, Panoma acted as agents for another artist turned toy maker, Mary Bayliss Barnard. Based in Oban, MBB was by the mid 1920’s employing four more women to keep the stock flowing into her Bunny Shop”. I noticed that Mary Wheelhouse studied for 3 years at Acedemie Delecleuse as had Mary Barnard (and Duncan MacGregor Whyte)…..networking 100+ years ago!