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The Ross Fountain was installed in West
Princes Street Gardens in 1872.
It was cast near Paris, France in the
Durenne ironworks in the early 1860's and featured as an exhibit
in the Great Exhibition in London in 1862.
It was bought for Edinburgh by Daniel
Ross, a local gun maker and philanthropist, then it was transported
in 122 pieces to Leith.
After much dileberation as to where to
place it, it was finally assembled in its current location.
The gold coloured iron structure shows a standing naked woman
at the top above four more seated naked nymphettes representing
the arts, science, poetry and industry.
Below the first tier
is a collection of mermaids.The celebration of the naked
female is typical of classical French design, but it wasn't
to everyone's taste, Dean Ramsay (1793 - 1872) whose church,
St. John's was nearby called the fountain "grossly indecent
and disgusting"
The Ross fountain is a 'B' listed structure
of historic importance. |
