John Muir Wood

John Muir Wood (31 July 1805 – 25 June 1892) was a Scottish musician, piano maker, music publisher and an early amateur photographer.

Early life John Muir Wood was born in Edinburgh on 31 July 1805, the son of Andrew Wood and Jacobina Ferrier.

Wood's father was a partner in the Edinburgh piano manufacturing and music publishing firm of Muir, Wood and Company, and later Wood, Small and Company. In 1799 his company won a royal warrant as "Musical Instrument Makers of His Majesty."

Wood was named for his father's initial business partner, John Muir (d. 1818). eventually travelling to Paris and Vienna to continue his musical studies. With his brothers, George (1812-1893) and Robert (1797-1871), he operated the piano and music publishing firm of Wood & Co. in Edinburgh. After relocating to Glasgow, Wood established John Muir Wood & Co. on Buchanan Street.

Wood's music businesses were quite successful and through his work he was involved in arranging many classical music concerts in Glasgow.

In 1884, Wood edited a new edition of George Farquhar Graham's "Songs of Scotland".

Wood's knowledge of photography may date from his friendship in the 1840s with the eye surgeon Dr. Jasper MacAldin, who shared his knowledge of optics and chemistry. He also experimented with the addition of various metals, such as copper, tin, gold and uranium in an attempt to produce different color tones and more permanent images. An exhibit of this collection was held at the National Gallery of Scotland in 2008.

Personal life On 22 January 1851 in Gorbals, Lanark, Scotland, John Muir Wood married Helen Kemlo Stephen. Wood's body was returned to Glasgow and was buried in the Glasgow Necropolis.

John Muir Wood is the great-grandfather of Sir Alan Muir Wood (1921-2009), a British civil engineer known as the father of modern tunneling. Sir Alan and his son, Dr. Paul Muir Wood, were instrumental in donating John Muir Woods photographic images to the National Galleries of Scotland.