St George's Church, from George Street Looking West

Category

Library Item

Item no

18695

Title

St George's Church, from George Street looking west, Edinburgh

Description

St George's Church at the end of George Street has a large dome in its centre.

Artist / maker

Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer

Engraver

Bond, W H

Date

1829

Size

9.8 x 15.2 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.

West Register House was completed in 1811, originally as St George's Church. Standing in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, the church was intended to mirror another church at the opposite end of George Street, but this plan was never realised. The original design for the building was made by Robert Adam, but his plans were substantially modified by Robert Reid. The building was taken over by the government in 1964 and is now used by the National Archives of Scotland.

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Related subjects

Landscape > Landscape architectural facilities > Gardens

Places > Edinburgh areas > New Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Religion > Religious facilities > Protestant churches

Transport > Land > Horse and carriages

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