The Haunted Close, West Bow. 1848.

This original antique steel engraving depicts The Haunted Close in the West Bow, Edinburgh — one of the most atmospherically named and historically resonant closes in the entire Old Town — drawn by Sir Daniel Wilson and engraved by William Forrest for his landmark work Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, published in 1848.

The Haunted Close in the West Bow owed its sinister name to its proximity to the house of Major Thomas Weir — Edinburgh’s most infamous alleged wizard and warlock — whose nearby residence cast a shadow of supernatural dread over the entire neighbourhood for generations after his execution for witchcraft in 1670.

Even in Wilson’s time, nearly two centuries after Weir’s death, the West Bow was still haunted in the Edinburgh imagination by the memory of its most notorious resident, and the closes and wynds around his house retained an atmosphere of gothic unease that Wilson captures with extraordinary sensitivity and skill in this print.

The Haunted Close is one of the most evocative and atmospheric subjects in the entire Memorials series, combining Edinburgh’s rich tradition of dark history and supernatural folklore with Wilson’s characteristic architectural precision.

This is a rare Proof impression, pulled before the main print run and of superior quality and rarity to a standard example. The thin paper of this print has separated from its original thicker backing sheet, though both elements remain present.

Subscript: Lower Left: Drawn by Daniel Wilson. Lower Right: Engd. by William Forrest. Lower Center: Published by Hugh Paton, Adam Square, Edinburgh. Proof.

Author: Sir Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. (1816–1892)

Publication: Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time. By Daniel Wilson, F. S. S. A. Acting Secretary to the Society of the Antiquaries of Scotland.

Volume: 2

Publisher: Hugh Paton / Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.

Place of Publication: Adam Square, Edinburgh / London

Date: 1848

Artist: Sir Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. (1816–1892)

Engraver: William Forrest

Page Number: Between pages 120–121

Paper Dimensions: 9 ⅞ x 12 ⅜ inches

Medium: Steel Engraving

Impression: Proof

Language: English

Coloured: Black and white

Condition: The print is in great condition with some minor wear around the edges and a few very faint crease marks down the centre of the print, as can be seen. The print is on a thin paper which was originally adhered to a thicker paper for publication; however, the adhesive is no longer holding and the two sheets have separated — both papers are included.

Reference: Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time, HathiTrust Digital Library