Museum, Hall and Library of the Old College

Category

Library Item

Item no

668

Title

Museum, Hall and Library of the Old College

Description

The Museum, Hall and Library of the Old College, Edinburgh. The L-shaped building has many windows and smoke rising from a chimney. A carved stone lintel is above the main doorway. To the right is a small building which has a water pipe on the wall. A water trough lies under the pipe collecting water. People are standing in small groups in front of the building.

Artist / maker

Skene, James

Date

1817

Size

17 x 23 cm.

Type

Pencil work

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The construction of Old College, according to Robert Adam's designs, began in 1789. Adams' death and the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars led to the project being halted in 1792. It was recommenced in 1817 by William Playfair, and work was largely completed by the mid 1830's. It was not until 1887 that the final finishing touch, a large dome similar to that in Adam's original design, was put to the building by Robert Rowand Anderson. This dome was topped with a bronze statue the following year. The building is still used by the University of Edinburgh.

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Related subjects

Education > Educational facilities > Universities and colleges

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Sport and leisure > Culture > Libraries

Sport and leisure > Culture > Museums

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