Local Children posing on Gabriel's Steps

Category

Library Item

Item no

21086

Title

Local Children posing on Gabriel's Steps, Stockbridge Colonies 1920

Description

A large crowd of boys and girls pose for a photograph on Gabriel's Steps beside the Stockbridge colonies, Edinburgh. The children are all squeezed on to the right hand side of the steps behind the hand rail. They are wearing a variety of Edwardian clothing including pinafores and Eton collared shirts.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1920

Size

25.3 x 16.3 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Only part of Gabriel's Road, the old route to Stockbridge, survives today and this includes Gabriel's Steps in the Colonies. The steps were also locally known as the Dummy Steps.

The Stockbridge Colonies are located just to the south of the Royal Botanic Garden, about a mile north of Princes Street. They were built by the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company which was founded in 1861. The company's founders included the stonemason and geologist Hugh Miller, the journalist and politician Hugh Gilzean Reid and the stonemason James Coleville. Their aim was to establish a cooperative organisation, principally owned by working class shareholders, to build good quality, affordable housing for working people. The development, known as Glenogle Park, began in the year of the company's foundation and was largely completed by 1875, although sporadic building continued until 1911.

Originally a separate village, Stockbridge is now a largely residential area situated a mile north of Edinburgh Castle. The village developed substantially between about 1813, when the famous painter Sir Henry Raeburn began to feu his land in the area for development, and about 1850. Much of this development was conducted by the architect James Milne. With its proximity to the Water of Leith and its interesting and diverse architecture, Stockbridge is considered an attractive and popular place to live, shop and socialise.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Railings

Architecture > Architectural features > Stairways

Architecture > Architectural features > Walls

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Coats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Dresses

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shirts

Clothing and dress > Garments > Trousers

People > Children > Boys

People > Children > Girls

Places > Edinburgh areas > Stockbridge

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh