View of the Alcove dressing room from the South Digital image of C/34828/cn

Description View of the Alcove dressing room from the South Digital image of C/34828/cn

Date 27/4/1994

Catalogue Number SC 759630

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of C 34828 CN

Scope and Content 'Alcove' dressing room, Newhailes, Musselburgh, East Lothian This shows a bed with decorative cast-iron (melted iron poured into a mould) headboard and footboard and a wooden bedside cabinet that originally contained a chamberpot which would have been emptied by the housemaid in the morning. Above the cabinet is a wooden egg-shaped servants bell-pull (lever) which was connected by wires to a bell in the basement. The housekeeper oversaw the daily routine of the housemaids which involved opening shutters, cleaning grates, sweeping and dusting rooms. The maids were also expected to change and make beds, and empty chamberpots and basins from the bedrooms. The maids probably slept in the small rooms in the attic. James Smith (c.1645-1731) architect, designed and built Newhailes House (originally known as Whitehill) in 1686. Sir David Dalrymple (c.1665-1721) bought the estate in 1709 and started the construction of the library wing in 1718 which was completed after his death in 1721 by his son, Sir James Dalrymple (1692-1751). The house was modernised in 1871-3 when Lord Shand was tenant, and has remained largely unchanged since. The National Trust for Scotland became the owners of Newhailes House in January 1997. The house opened to the public on 1 June 2002 after a £12.7 million conservation project that ensured the house was stabilised without losing the patination of the interior decoration. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/759630

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap