Jean Armour Burns Brown in the doorway of Burns Cottage, Alloway

A monochrome photographic print of a direct descendant of Robert Burns, taken in the doorway of his birthplace.   Jean Armour Burns Brown was the great granddaughter of Robert Burns, descended through Robert Burns junior, the poet's eldest son. From the time she was a young woman she was said to bear an uncanny resemblance to her famous forebear. Because of this she became something of a celebrity in her own right, touring in Scotland and North America.   This photograph of her is taken in the doorway of Burns Cottage at Alloway. The poet's father sold the cottage in 1781 and it was used as a public house until May 1881. By this time it had become a place of pilgrimage for Burns enthusiasts from  around the world. It was purchased for £4,000 by the Trustees of the Burns Monument and opened to the public.   Burns' birthplace and the Burns Monument Gardens at Alloway were a  landmark for those visiting "Burns' Country" in the latter part of the 19th Century.