St Mary's Wynd, looking north

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

11715

Title

St Mary's Wynd, looking north

Description

Photograph of a narrow street in Edinburgh from a stereograpic negative. There are houses on both sides of the street, washing is drying from the upstairs window of one of them. A taller block of buildings is visible in the distance. A street lamp is attached to the wall on the right.

Artist / maker

Begbie, Thomas

Date

1865

Size

8.3 x 17.1 cm

Type

Glass negative

Location

City Art Centre

Copyright

The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie Prints ; The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

Despite living in the New Town, Stevenson was well acquainted with the shabby charm of Edinburgh's Old Town. The author was known to frequent some of the less respectable establishments in this area, especially during his bohemian university days. This image reflects the buildings, dark closes and narrow wynds characteristic of the Old Town at this time.

This is a glass negative from the Thomas Begbie Cavaye Collection which is held by City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries.

St Mary's Street, formerly St Mary's Wynd, runs from the west end of the Canongate to the east end of the Cowgate. It was considerably widened in the 1860's, and gained its new name at the same time.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Street lights

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