James Gowans

Title: Edinburgh and its neighbourhood in the days of our grandfathers. A series of (eighty) illustrations drawn by T. H. Shepherd]. ... with historical and descriptive sketches. Publisher: British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC. The GEOGRAPHY & TOPOGRAPHY collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. Offering some insights into the study and mapping of the natural world, this collection includes texts on Babylon, the geographies of China, and the medieval Islamic world. Also included are regional geographies and volumes on environmental determinism, topographical analyses of England, China, ancient Jerusalem, and significant tracts of North America. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Gowans, James; Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer; 1886. x. 166 p.; 8 . 10369.h.14.

This detailed guide to the model tenement building displayed at Edinburgh's International Exhibition of Industry Science and Art in 1886 was first published in that year. A prominent figure in Scottish architecture and engineering, Sir James Gowans (1821–90) designed and built railways, roads, and stone houses during his long career, including a model village in West Lothian named Gowanbank. His intention in designing tenement buildings was to produce a standardised model that would make homes more affordable. This short book considers the tenement designs, including the situation of staircases, drainage, materials, and the mode of construction. Gowans' book also features chapters on the Prince Albert Victor Sundial, built to commemorate the opening of the exhibition by the prince, the Memorial Mason's pillars erected in Edinburgh, and the Electric Tramway. Gowans was made Lord Dean of Guild of the city of Edinburgh in 1885.