Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time — Title Page, Volume II. 1848.

This original antique steel engraved title page is from Volume II of Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time by Sir Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. — one of the most important and beautifully illustrated works ever produced on the history of Scotland’s capital.

Published by Hugh Paton of Adam Square, Edinburgh, and Simpkin, Marshall & Co. of London in 1848, this is a rare and historically significant piece: the title page of the second and concluding volume of Wilson’s landmark two-volume work, which together form the most comprehensive illustrated record of Victorian Edinburgh ever assembled.

Wilson spent years documenting the city’s ancient buildings, many of which were being demolished at the time, and Memorials of Edinburgh stands today as an irreplaceable visual and historical archive. For collectors of Scottish history, Edinburgh topography, and Victorian publishing, the title page of such a work is a genuinely unusual and collectable survivor.

Recto (Title Page): Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time. / By Daniel Wilson, F. R. S. S. A. / Acting Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. / Volume II. / Edinburgh: Hugh Paton, Adam Square / London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. / MDCCCXLVIII

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: II

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)

Page Number: Title Page

Paper Dimensions: 12 ¼ x 9 ½ inches

Medium: Steel Engraving

Language: English

Coloured: Black and white

Condition: The print is in fair condition with a notable amount of foxing across the surface and some wear around the edges, including small tears into the sides of the print, as can be seen.

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