Somewhere in the National Museum of Scotland, but apparently not under the roof of the Grand Gallery, there is the foundation stone. Laid by Prince Albert in 1861, it was his last public appearance before his death. It was a pretty large foundation stone he laid. One half of it contained a glass jar. Ok that doesn’t make it sound big but look what the jar contained:
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- a copy of the Edinburgh directory;
- Oliver and Boyd’s Almanac;
- a glass jar containing the following gold and silver coins: a sovereign, a half sovereign, 5s, 2s, 6d, 2s, 1s, 6d, 4d and 3d., besides a penny, a half penny and a farthing in bronze;
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Johnson’s view of the building and the Post Office;
- Johnson’s new plan of the city;
- Lectures etc in connection with the Industrial Museum by the late Professor George Wilson;
- also a portrait engraving;
- Lecture by Professor Archer to the Chamber of Commerce;
- Hislop’s Postal Sheet for October 1861;
- Hislop’s Time-Gun plan of the city of Edinburgh;
- the Edinburgh newspapers of the 23 October 1861.”
Bizarrely though, given the size of the stone and the grandeur of the stone laying ceremony, no one apparently knows exactly where the foundation stone is. Maybe someone will unravel the mystery and enlighten us one of these days.
Imagine the excitement if you were the one to find the missing stone!
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Ooh you’ve reminded me, the museum got in touch. I must chase for an uodate!
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What a fascinating story! It’s one of the places I used to explore regularly while living in Edinburgh but never knew about the foundation stone. Thanks for sharing, we learn something new every day, isn’t? Aiva 😊
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Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, and I know it is fascinating about the foundation stone. Apparently there may be an update on its location, I am just waiting to hear from the museum so as soon as I hear I’ll prepare another post 🙂
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Yes, please if there’s an update regarding the foundation stone, prepare another post! Can’t wait to find out more about it! 😊
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Hi Becky Happy New Year. I love this wonderful post that you did. That is very interesting that they cannot find the stone. Here’s my first post for your squares challenge. I hope you like it. https://queennandini.wordpress.com/2020/01/12/candlelight-sunlight-moonlight-and-festivals-of-lights-for-my-first-becky-squares-post/
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and a very happy New Year to you, as well as a very warm welcome to squares. Delighted you can join us
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Thanks Becky for the wonderful welcome and New Years wishes!
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And a very Happy New year to you too
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nice rooflights and how curious that they cannot find the stone.
I bet that technology might able to help us in the future e- maybe some infrared tech or something. ??
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The museum has contacted me to say there may be an update, I am just waiting for their email so will keep you posted!
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How exciting – I love learning more about cultural things and blogging gives us this global connection –
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I am so excited . . .email however has yet to arrive!!
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And mine: https://teepee12.com/2020/01/13/sunny-midday-a-red-finch-and-friends-13-marilyn-armstrong/
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Fabulous
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Thank for taking us to see this wonderful building. I bet there a lot of cool items in there to see
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There is so much to see, I need to go back as I hardly saw anything!
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Incredible structure!! Is that a fresnel lens lamp in the lower right?
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Not sure if they are called that when they are lighthouse lamps. It may not look it in this pic but it was seriously big. I can’t recall now which lighthouse it was from.
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That’s the name of lens when they are in light houses. I may have to go on a road trip to get a lighthouse photo. Or. Photograph a photo. Oh gee I’m loosing it 🤪
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ahha . . something else I have learnt today! Loving today’s learning 😀
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It’s a great word to throw out at a ladeeda party 😀
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😀
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Okay, so I mistook the grand gallery for a mall. I have to say our mall designers have done a lot of copying from classic structures. Maybe that is why they aren’t building classic structures anymore — because anyone can copy them and make fake ones more or less overnight. I have no idea what those symbols mean. I could probably look them up, but that would be cheating.
Moral: Look at the pictures, but also read the text before commenting.
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Hee hee . . . . can understand why you might think it is a mall with all those galleries.
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I love the light from that lofted roof. Some of our malls have a very similar configuration. I think the same developers build malls everywhere.
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Light is fabulous 🙂
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Oh that’s so lovely 😊
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oh I am so glad you love it as much I do . . . when i go back I must actually look properly at the exhibits. I was too distracted by the building itself on this visit!
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