Shepherd's Modern Athens

'Modern Athens' is a collection of engravings based on drawings by Thomas Shepherd published in 1829. Between the 1760s and the 1830s Edinburgh underwent a rapid expansion as the New Town was built. The new buildings included assembly rooms, schools, banks, churches and prisons. The popular neoclassical architectural style of the time was inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans, which led to Edinburgh being nicknamed the 'Athens of the North'.

Shepherd's engravings celebrate the beauty of Edinburgh and its surroundings. They show many of the notable buildings and streets within the city. The images of the spacious, carefully laid out New Town contrast with the narrow winding busy streets of the Old Town. Leith was a separate burgh, but important to Edinburgh as a port for trade and import of luxury goods. Craigleith quarry, a few miles to the north west of Edinburgh, supplied much of the sandstone used to construct the new buildings. There are also engravings of sites of natural beauty and ruins including the Pentlands, Ben Lomond and St Anthony's Chapel.

These images provide a fascinating insight into Edinburgh of this time period. As well as showing the architecture and landscape the engravings portray people going about their daily business, including shopping, strolling and carrying goods. The contrast between the dress of those in the wealthier New Town, and those in the poorer older parts of the city can be noted. The main mode of transport was by horse and cart. If you look closely you will also find that nearly every image includes a picture of a dog.

Find out more about the The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage.