by Geoffrey Godden:
This is the general title of a multi-silk picture issued at the time of the 1886 Edinburgh Exhibition. It comprises the City Arms, with views of 'The Netherbow Port', 'The Old Edinburgh Street' (as reconstructed as part of the exhibition) and 'The Old Tolbooth'. These designs were registered by W. H. Grant on 27 April 1886, but the official numbers - 47889, 47890 and 47891 - do not appear on some examples. A larger picture, with the extra silks depicting 'The Exhibition Building' and 'The Bandstand', was also issued (as A Present from the International Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1886 - gt43 on this site).
The original price of this picture was 2s, but the individual views were also mounted and sold separately. Book-markers also incorporated views of the Exhibition. In addition, the Stevens firm produced a multi-silk memento of the exhibition.
Other comments:
Grant also issued a similar picture under the alternative title of Views of Ye Olde Edinburgh Streete [recorded as gt30 on this site], although the order of the individual silks is different.
These three individual view silks were also issued by Grant as individually mounted pictures, being:
gt504 - The Netherbow Port
gt518 - The Old Edinburgh Street
gt523 - The Old Tolbooth
