Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time: Volume 1

Born in Edinburgh, Daniel Wilson (1816-92) initially pursued an artistic career and spent time in Turner’s studio. However, in 1846 he became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and devoted the rest of his life to archaeology, anthropology and university administration. He was active in the Society’s attempts to save historic buildings in Edinburgh, and the city’s built environment was the subject of this two-volume 1848 work, which is illustrated with engravings after his own drawings. In Volume 1, Wilson begins by tracing the city’s history from earliest times. The latter part of the volume covers local antiquities and traditions, with each chapter looking at a different area of the Old Town. The historical detail, with references, is immense, and Wilson’s enthusiasm for his city is evident throughout. His second major work, the landmark Prehistoric Annals of Scotland (second edition, 1863), is also reissued in this series.