▁Battle H aw ks , ▁professional ▁American ▁football ▁team ▁compet ing ▁in ▁the ▁X FL <0x0A> </s> ▁John ▁Thom son ▁( 1 4 ▁June ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁– ▁ 2 9 ▁September ▁ 1 9 2 1 ) ▁was ▁a ▁pione ering ▁Scottish ▁photograph er , ▁ge ograph er , ▁and ▁trav eller . ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁photograph ers ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁Far ▁East , ▁document ing ▁the ▁people , ▁land sc apes ▁and ▁arte fact s ▁of ▁eastern ▁cult ures . ▁Upon ▁returning ▁home , ▁his ▁work ▁among ▁the ▁street ▁people ▁of ▁London ▁c ement ed ▁his ▁reputation , ▁and ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁classic ▁instance ▁of ▁social ▁document ary ▁which ▁laid ▁the ▁found ations ▁for ▁photo j ournal ism . ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁portrait ▁photograph er ▁of ▁High ▁Society ▁in ▁May f air , ▁gain ing ▁the ▁Royal ▁W arr ant ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁The ▁son ▁of ▁William ▁Thom son , ▁a ▁to b acco ▁sp inner ▁and ▁ret ail ▁tr ader , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Isabel la ▁New lands , ▁Thom son ▁was ▁born ▁the ▁e ighth ▁of ▁nine ▁children ▁in ▁Edinburgh ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁Queen ▁Victoria ' s ▁acc ession . ▁After ▁his ▁school ing ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁he ▁was ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁optical ▁and ▁scientific ▁instrument ▁manufact urer , ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁James ▁Mack ay ▁Bry son . ▁During ▁this