In October 1950 a former City Councillor was invited to a flat in St James Square to view some ‘old photos’. He discovered an assortment of tin boxes containing a remarkable collection of around 450 glass plate negatives taken by a little-known Edinburgh photographer Thomas Begbie. Dating from the late 1850s, they reveal a wonderfully detailed view of Edinburgh and its environs, from the poverty of the Old Town closes to the rich splendour of New Town buildings. The collection was donated to the City Council in 1991 and is now part of the City’s art collection. In this talk, David Patterson, Curatorial and Conservation Manager, will provide an overview of the collection, highlighting some of the unique views of a city at a time of huge transformation.
Book on the link or by calling Lauriston Castle on 0131 336 2060
Thomas Begbie’s Edinburgh: A Mid-Victorian Portrait