City Churches, Dundee - Ref: WC1882
St Mary's Tower, better known as the Old Steeple, was completed in the 1480s. In its turbulent history the Old Steeple has been fortified by an invading English force in the 16th century, used by the defenders of Dundee as a desperate, unsuccessful, stand against General Monk in 1651 and survived the 1841 fire which devastated the City Churches.
Today the Old Steeple enjoys more tranquil times. It is, however, in completely different surroundings. Gone are the railings and the buildings shown in the photograph. Now the Old Steeple and City Churches form the central feature in a modern shopping complex known as the Overgate Centre.
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.