Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville, has left us with a problem. Not so much his statue – perched 150 feet above St Andrew Square in Edinburgh he is already out of sight with only defecating pigeons for company. It’s… Read More ›
Edinburgh
Sniffers of the stench of corruption….
Three examples from the golden age of political caricature featuring Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville…. This one satirises the five-strong Commission of Naval Enquiry quizzing Dundas and the Navy paymaster Alexander Trotter (the guys in kilts). The Commission’s dogged… Read More ›
Edinburgh still failing Elsie Inglis
I really don’t understand why Edinburgh continues to blithely trample on the memory of Elsie Inglis. It’s more through ignorance and indifference but the blundering shows no signs of abating. Last month did bring official recognition with the naming of… Read More ›
Henry Dundas – lofty hero or lowlife crook?
He’s the man I walk past every day but never get to see up close. That’s because he’s 140 feet up in St Andrew Square – easily the tallest statue in Edinburgh. Far, far above His Royal Highness (William IV)… Read More ›
The legacy of Elsie Inglis – Edinburgh’s shame
Recent controversies over the centenary of World War One sometimes overlook a key factor – how the survivors wanted it to be remembered by future generations. In the case of Dr Elsie Inglis, this was quite simple – build maternity… Read More ›
How the Chest was Won
Professor Jimmy Williamson, who died in June, was the last surviving member of the Edinburgh group which found the first 100% cure for tuberculosis. In 1954 he was the last consultant to join Sir John Crofton’s team in Edinburgh. As… Read More ›
No doves in Dovecot and Bayeux not a tapestry – shock
A new exhibition in Edinburgh celebrates the centenary of the Dovecot tapestry weavers. The idea of hanging your history on the wall started well before 1066, but the Bayeux Tapestry not only made the news for England but still fashions… Read More ›
Revealed: IBM’s founder was a chip off the old block
IBM (International Business Machines) is now celebrating its first 100 years with a range of activities across the world. As you’d expect, it is a very impressive corporate web history with a strong emphasis on continued progress in the Panglossian… Read More ›
Open University history
Unlikely bedfellows – Margaret Thatcher and Jennie Lee Full marks to Rachel Garnham and the Open University team which is encouraging staff and student memories to help create an interactive online history for its 40th anniversary. It’s another innovation from… Read More ›
The History Company 