Interior. View of bedroom fireplace.
C 43643
Description Interior. View of bedroom fireplace.
Date 25/5/1994
Catalogue Number C 43643
Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images
Copies SC 769818
Scope and Content Detail of bedroom fireplace, Arniston House, Midlothian This shows a cast-iron fireplace with simple stone surround. A large iron fender is placed in front of the fire to stop embers from falling out onto the floor and causing fires. The simple design of the fireplace with its safety-conscious fender and the plainly decorated walls suggest this was a servant's room. Servants in large houses in both the town and country were expected to live and work out of view of the family they served for most of the day. Whilst the family rooms were lavishly furnished and well lit by large windows, servants' bedrooms were usually in the cold attic spaces, and they worked during the day in dark basement kitchens. Arniston House, the seat of the Dundas family, was built in the Palladian style from 1726 onwards by architect William Adam (1689-1748) on the site of a c.1600 U-plan tower-house. His son John (1721-92) added the west wing and orangery in 1753. The house was further altered during the 19th century, and comprises a central three-storeyed block with flanking two-storeyed service pavilions joined to the main building by two-storeyed links. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
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