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Edinburgh through the decades

Edinburgh through the decades
Edinburgh through the decades
This exhibition gives a pictorial overview of how Edinburgh has changed through the decades using images from our collections dating from the early 1700s.

The earlier images are engravings and drawings with the first photographic image a salted paper print of the construction of the Scott Monument by pioneer photographers David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson appearing around 1847.

Most of the places you will still recognise today, while others no longer exist. Some, like Whitehorse Close and Ramsay Gardens, look quite different to how they look now.

As the decades move forward, we see Edinburgh recovering from two World Wars and beginning to emerge as the vibrant city it is today. Traditional tenements in disrepair at the end of the 50s are replaced by high rise flats and housing estates on the city outskirts.

Edinburgh was soon becoming the host to major events. As well as the internationally acclaimed festivals and Tattoo, sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games and Tall Ships Race have been hosted in our city.