The first figure who is depicted looking through his glass is William Scott (1739-1816), a plumber from a Northumberland family who built an extensive collection of engravings and books, and served in various civic and military roles. The second is James Sibbald (c.1747-1803), a Roxburghshire farmer's son who became an enterprising bookseller and founded the Edinburgh Magazine in 1783; he was also known for his literary work "A Chronicle of Scottish Poetry" (1802) and his eccentric but amiable character. The third figure is George Fairholme of Greenhill, a wealthy banker who made his fortune in Holland and became a keen collector of fine art, particularly Rembrandt etchings, before his death in 1800. The fourth is James Kerr of Blackshiels, educated at Bordeaux, who became manager of the Leith Bank in 1801 after reportedly giving up gambling following a near-ruinous card game. The final two figures in the group are noted as imaginary additions.
The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries The image library for the collections of Edinburgh Libraries and Museums and Galleries