Coates House, West End

Category

Library Item

Item no

19207

Title

Coates House, West End

Artist / maker

Channing, William

Date

1854

Size

17.5 x 25.0 cm

Type

Pen work; Wash drawing

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Coates House was built around 1611 by Sir John Byre a wealthy merchant who lived between 1569 and 1629. During his lifetime, Byres was variously a magistrate, City Treasurer, and Old Provost, and upon his death the property was inherited by his son, Sir John Byres of Coates. The building known as Coates House, East Coates House or Easter Coates House is located at Palmerston Place.

William Channing's drawings and paintings from the bound volume of his 'Sketches in Edinburgh', give an artist's impression of tenement life in the mid 19th century. His drawings are glimpses into the past down the narrow Closes and alleyways of the Old Town. We see higgledy-piggledy houses and tenements towering skywards, laundry hanging from windows across the walkways and local characters talking in the streets.

Channing's delightful sketches are particularly valued for their representation of the architectural elements and details of buildings and closes now much changed or long since disappeared.

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