Interior view of Rockville, 3 Napier Road, Edinburgh, showing a room with large arch-topped mirrors, a ribbed ceiling with gilded flowers, a fireplace with a stepped interior arch and wallpapers with ...

Description Interior view of Rockville, 3 Napier Road, Edinburgh, showing a room with large arch-topped mirrors, a ribbed ceiling with gilded flowers, a fireplace with a stepped interior arch and wallpapers with design of cabbage-roses and vases.

Date 7/1964

Collection Records of the Scottish National Buildings Record, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 1519324

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of ED 944

Scope and Content Written on the back of the mounted print: 'Place: Edinburgh. Building: Rockville, 5 Napier Road' Photographer: 'G N' Date: 'July 1964' Rockville was built in 1858 as the home of its architect Sir James Gowans (1822-90). An extraordinary building with a tall tower, it was built using a grid of stone infilled with rubble. Despite attempts to save it, the house was demolished in 1965. This photograph shows one of the principal rooms. It is divided up with huge mirrors and panelling. The ornate ceiling features foliate motifs. The fireplace has a stepped interior and two-level mantelpiece with a large overmantel mirror above. Interior decoration in Victorian houses was very elaborate. This would be further enhanced by the furnishings and ornaments popular at the time. Seen by dim gaslight the general effect would not be so overpowering as it seems to our modern eyes. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference MW/BR/EDIN/215

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1519324

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap