Thomas Vernon Begbie, the pioneering Edinburgh photographer, produced over 400 glass plate negatives of Scotland's capital city from the late 1850s onwards when photography was still in its infancy.
The astonishing collection, which includes a large variety of stereo views taken all over Auld Reekie, was discovered in a house in St James’ Square in 1950, where Begbie was born 110 years earlier. Had Begbie’s cache of images not been uncovered, it’s likely they would have been destroyed a decade later when three sides of St James’ Square were demolished.
Begbie’s images were later gifted to the City of Edinburgh by Stanley Cavaye, and the collection of glass negatives are currently held at the City Art Centre on Market Street.
Take a look through our picture gallery for a journey back in time – and let us know your thoughts in the comments section before you go.
5. Bowhead House
Horse and cart trundles up towards Bowhead House and the Lawnmarket in the Old Town. Photo: The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie/Capital Collections
6. Scott Monument and Princes Street
View of the Scott Monument and Princes Street from Edinburgh's Old Town. Photo: The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie/Capital Collections
7. Shakespeare Theatre
Shakespeare Theatre at Waterloo Place. Now the site of the former General Post Office. Photo: The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie/Capital Collections
8. Calton Jail
Calton Jail at Regent Road and showing the Dugald Stewart Monument on Calton Hill. Photo: The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie/Capital Collections