The Book of Old Edinburgh And Hand-Book to the Old Edinburgh Street Designed by Sidney Mitchell, Architect; For the International Exhibition of Industry, Science, and Art Edinburgh, 1886 With Historical Accounts of the Buildings therein reproduced and Anecdotes of Edinburgh Life in the Olden Time

Format is approximately 5.25 inches by 7.5 inches. xiv, [2], 160 pages. Decorated red cloth. Rare. Frontis and over 70 other illustrations. Occasional Footnotes. Page "With the Compliments of the Lost Provost, Magistrates, and Council of the City of Edinburgh, Edinburgh August 1886 pasted in between Front cover and free end paper. This work was first published in 1886 to accompany one of the more eccentric displays at the Edinburgh International Exhibition of the same year. Historically accurate reconstructions of noteworthy but long-demolished Edinburgh buildings were built side by side to create a fictional street. This guide provided visitors with key historical information relating to the recreated buildings and monuments ranging from the medieval market cross to the historic tollbooth. Fact is combined with anecdote, situating the buildings in the wider context of Edinburgh's rich history. The text was written by John Charles Dunlop and Alison Hay Dunlop, siblings little known beyond their Edinburgh circles. Of particular interest are the illustrations by William Fergusson Brassey Hole (1846-1917), who later painted the murals in the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Arthur George Sydney Mitchell (7 January 1856 - 13 October 1930) was a Scottish architect. In 1885, Mitchell was engaged to restore the Mercat Cross. He was commissioned to recreate several of Edinburgh's demolished medieval buildings, including the Netherbow, as part of the Edinburgh Exhibition of 1886. He continued to draw on the Scots Renaissance style in such projects as Duntreath Castle (1890). William Brassey Hole RSA (7 November 1846 - 22 October 1917) was an English artist, illustrator, etcher and engraver, known for his industrial, historical and biblical scenes. Hole went on to specialize in painting industrial and historical material. He devoted much of his energies to Scottish national subjects and purposes. In 1898 Hole painted a Processional Frieze for the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, showing over 150 figures or "heroes" from Scotland's past. A critic described this work as "one of the most notable essays in mural decoration ever accomplished in this country". He also provided historical paintings for Edinburgh City Chambers and ecclesiastical decorations for other buildings. The International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art was a World's fair held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1886. The exhibition was held in The Meadows. It was opened on 6 May by Prince Albert Victor and ran to 30 October, occupied 30 acres, had 2,770,000 visits and made £5,555 profit. Exhibits included an Old Edinburgh Street exhibit which included reconstructions of, by then, demolished buildings of the Royal Mile including the Netherbow Port. Neilson and Company of Glasgow exhibited the Caledonian Railway Single steam locomotive. Scotch whiskey was also highlighted. The Zetland and Fair Isle exhibit gave Edinburgh city whale jawbones which formed an arch on Jawbone Walk. The jawbones were removed for restoration in 2014 due to deterioration and lack of maintenance. The Brassfounders Column from the Exhibition was moved from the Meadows to Nicolson Square. The contents include: Nether-Bow Port, The Twelve Apostles' House, French Ambassador's Chapel, House in Dickson's Close, Bow-Head Corner House, Major Weir's House, Earl of Hyndford's House, The Nameless House (in Cowgate), Laus Deo House, The Cunzie-House, Paul's Wark, Symson the Printer's House, The Oratory of Mary of Guise, The Royal Porch, Holyrood, The Toolbooth, Robert Gourlay's House, Cardinal Beaton's House, The Parliament Stairs, South Gable of Parliament Hall, The Assembly Rooms, The Black Turnpike, The Cowgate House, Mint Close, The Town-Guard, The Blue Blanket, The Trades Incorporations, and The Cross.…