Jawbone repair by public subscription

Jawbone arch

Earlier in February I reported in a post that Historic Scotland had declined to list the Jawbone arch in the Meadows.  Listing might have helped access to funds for its much needed repair.    I suggested the failure to list could present an opportunity to raise money for the repair locally.

The Evening News has today published a piece I wrote as a follow up.  You can find the full article here.

The arch was a feature of the Great Exhibition of Edinburgh in 1886. Here are a couple of excerpts from my piece.

The Great Exhibition began on 6th May and closed on 30th October after six months.  I suggest that between those dates this year, in a good old fashioned way, we raise the money necessary to spruce up the Jawbone Arch.  And it can be done by public subscription.

It (the Exhibition) was a sensational showpiece of industry, science and art.  The Grand Hall could hold 10,000 people and featured a 120 foot high dome.  There were 20,000 exhibits and 1,725 works of art on display.   An electric railway plied between Brougham Place and Middle Meadow Walk and a host of other attractions showed off the ingenuity and dynamism of the Victorian era.