Field Visit
Date 13 December 2000
Event ID 612960
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/612960
The museum sign is composed of three-dimensional figures of a cryer and a drummer. The cryer waves his hat in the air with his right hand, and holds a notice in his left. He is dressed in a painted blue jacket and white hose. The drummer is behind, holding a drum stick in each hand, and is wearing a painted red suit and black boots and hat.
The five relief panels are decorated with flowers (3), thistles and animals (2 and 4), stalks of wheat growing out of crossed bones (5), and a large unpainted relief carving of a sun (1).
The last panel, decorated with stalks of wheat growing out of crossed bones, symbolises resurrection after death, illustrating hope of another life.
In 1517 there were three small houses on this site which were united in 1570. In 1647 the house was bought by the Incorporation of Hammermen who employed Robert Mylne in 1671 as a consultant on the enlargement of the front block. In 1927-32 Frank C. Mears incorporated a pair of tenements of 1648 (to the south) with Huntly House, in his restoration and conversion to a museum. In 1932 the panel carved with the initials of the Lord Provost Sir Thomas B Whitson was placed on the façade, along with replicas of four earlier panels.
A popular name for the building was 'The Speaking House', referring to the four original panels of aphorisms.
T.B.W. = Sir Thomas B. Whitson, Lord Provost
Inspected By : D. King
Inscriptions : On panels (raised gold letters), from east to west:
(1) ANTI- / QVA / TAMEN / JVVEN- / ESCO / T.B.W / 1932
(2) HODIE . MIHI . CRAS . TIBI / CVR . IGITVR . CVRAS . / 1570 [= Today for me, tomorrow for you, why worry]
(3) VT. TV. LINGVAE. TVAE / SIC . EGO . MEAR . AVRIV / DOMINVS . SVM [= As you are the lord of your tongue, so am I the lord of my ears]
(4) CONSTANTI . PECTORI / RES . MORTALIVM / VMBRA [= To the constant heart the affairs of mortals are but a shade]
(5) SPES / ALTERA / VITAE
Below figures on Huntly House Museum sign (painted white letters): The Museum / of Edinburgh
Signatures : None visible
Design period : c. 1517 / 1570 / 1647-1648 / 1671 / 1927-32
Year of unveiling : c.1932
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0546)
