Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time

This well-illustrated two-volume 1848 work was concerned with preserving the material history of the city of Edinburgh, threatened by development.

Daniel Wilson (Author)

9781108063470, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 September 2013

302 pages, 56 b/w illus. 1 map
29.7 x 21 x 1.6 cm, 0.73 kg

Born in Edinburgh, Daniel Wilson (1816–92) initially pursued an artistic career and spent time in Turner's studio. However, in 1846 he became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and devoted the rest of his life to archaeology, anthropology and university administration. He was active in the Society's attempts to save historic buildings in Edinburgh, and the city's built environment was the subject of this two-volume 1848 work, which is illustrated with engravings after his own drawings. In Volume 2, Wilson continues to cover local antiquities and traditions, with each chapter looking at a different area of the Old Town. Leith, the New Town, and ecclesiastical buildings are also discussed. The historical detail, with references, is immense, and Wilson's enthusiasm for his city is evident throughout. Wilson's second major work, the landmark Prehistoric Annals of Scotland (second edition, 1863), is also reissued in this series.

Part II. Local Antiquities and Traditions: 5. The High Street
6. The High Street and Netherbow
7. The Canongate and Abbey sanctuary
8. St Leonards, St Mary's Wynd, and the Cowgate
9. The West Bow and the suburbs
10. Leith and the New Town
11. Ecclesiastical antiquities
Appendix
Index.

Subject Areas: Architecture [AM]