Kilmarnock Market Cross
An image, engraved from a painting by D O Hill, of Main Street and the Market Cross, Kilmarnock.
Kilmarnock has many associations with Robert Burns, most notably the first edition of his work was printed here in 1786 whilst he was still farming in Ayrshire. Burns arranged for the book to be printed by John Wilson, a local printer. Of this first edition only 612 were printed and copies of this rare book are now known as "Kilmarnock Editions".
The printing of the Kilmarnock edition of his poems was a turning point in Burns' life. He abandoned his plans to emigrate to Jamaica and instead spent the next year in Edinburgh where he was acclaimed as a poet and welcomed in Edinburgh society.
This is an example of a steel plate engraving which has been removed from an illustrated work, most probably "The Land of Burns" published by Blackie and Son of Glasgow, and hand tinted in watercolours.
Object no :
DMBN217n
Collection :
Creator :
D Wilson
Place of Production :
NA
Dimensions :
width: 139 mm, length: 91 mm,
Materials :
paper
Location :
NA
Accession number :
DUMFM:0199.87
Copyright :
Dumfries & Galloway Council