The Bass Rock (detail), Theatrum Scotiae. John Sletzer, 1693
The Bass Rock (detail), Theatrum Scotiae. John Sletzer, 1693
Engraved views from the 17th century. ‘Theatrum Scotiae’ is a volume of detailed engravings by John Slezer, a military engineer . It gives a glimpse of what Scotland looked like over 300 years ago.
More than 70 of Slezer’s original engravings from the National Library of Scotland’s collections have been digitised. You can view them by clicking on the original image to the right. This will direct you to the full image on the NLS site, from where you can navigate to the see the entire work.
The National Library of Scotland, Special Collections
The National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh contains a fascinating holding of books, manuscripts and archives. The Library’s Special Collections are particularly eclectic, ranging from witchcraft to the French Revolution, from beekeeping to Esperanto and from the Reformation to cookbooks. Rare books include Stirling’s ‘Annals of the Artists of Spain’ the first illustrated art history and Fox Talbot’s ‘Sun Pictures in Scotland’. With over one million books to consult all you need is a library card and time to delve history.
