Panmure Street, Dundee - Ref: WC0523
The Royal Exchange in Dundee's Panmure Street is the focal point of this Alexander Wilson photograph, taken from within the fencing around the city's Albert Institute.
Dundee Chamber of Commerce ran a competition to find a design for their new home, which was won by David Bryce. No account had been taken, however, of the marshy ground, and the building tilted on its foundations, despite beds of concrete.
Originally, the building (inspired by a Flemish Cloth Hall) was to have been topped by an ornamental tower. This was abandoned in favour of a simple Gothic parapet. An Inaugural Festival took place on 1st April 1856 (with musical entertainment).
Alexander Wilson who took this photograph, was a supervisor in a Dundee jute mill for over 20 years. He bequeathed much of his collection and £50, to cover the costs involved, to the Free Library Committee of Dundee in 1923.