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Hall of the Old Tolbooth, c.1795

William Clark, 1795, Oil painting
Hall of the Old Tolbooth, c.1795
Hall of the Old Tolbooth, c.1795
Hall of the Old Tolbooth, c.1795
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Category
Museums & Galleries Item
Item no
43637
Title
Hall of the Old Tolbooth, c.1795
Description
An oil painting showing the dark and gloomy interior of the Edinburgh Tolbooth. The view is of the main hall of the Tolbooth where the jailers, the members of the Town Guard on duty sit and rest. One guard is sitting to the left smoking a long pipe. A man not in Guard uniform but in dark clothes is seated at a table writing with a quil. Another guardsman is standing inside a wooden structure with a low gate. Leading up to a dark cell door is a ladder. Above the fireplace is the text of a poem which reads "A prison is a house of care".
Artist / maker
William Clark
Date
1795
Size
29.8 x38.1 cm
Location
City Art Centre
Accession number
CAC1978/35