Custom House, Leith

Category

Library Item

Item no

18662

Title

Custom House, Leith

Description

The Custom House in Edinburgh stands beside the Water of Leith. It is a large stone building with decorative moulding around the upper part of the walls and an impressive entranceway supported by columns. There is a heraldic emblem within the pediment above the entrance. In the foreground a stone bridge crosses the river and a couple of rowing boats travel under the bridge's arches. There are many smartly dressed people walking across the bridge and several of them have stopped to look at the view over the water.

Artist / maker

Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer

Engraver

Henshall, J

Date

1829

Size

10.3 x 16.0 cm

Type

Engraving

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image comes from 'Modern Athens', a book of engravings based on drawings by Thomas Shepherd published in 1829. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Edinburgh was growing rapidly. The popular neoclassical architectural style of the time was inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and Edinburgh was nicknamed 'Athens of the North'. Shepherd's engravings celebrate the beauty of Edinburgh and show many notable buildings and streets both within the city, and further afield.

Leith Custom House was built by Robert Reid between 1810-1812. It was the venue for the collection of duty payable on goods imported through Leith. The building is situated on Commercial Street.

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Related subjects

Government > National > Customhouses

Landscape > Water > Rivers and streams

Places > Edinburgh areas > Leith

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Stone bridges

Transport > Water > Boats