Unknown poem by 'titanic figure' found in a box of junk

Inside they discovered a handwritten draft of Address to the Town-Council of Edinburgh, which is now expected to fetch £800-1,200 at the GWA Summer Two Day Fine Art & Antiques Auction on June 13 and 14.
It runs only to the fourteenth line of the poem, with the other pages presumed lost.
Read More:
Ramsay transformed the role of the Scots language in Scottish Literature, introduced the term 'Doric', founded or co-founded the first subscription library in the British Isles, the first art school in Scotland and one of the country's first theatres, and was one of the first Romantic song collectors, as well as a key player in the Enlightenment.
The first ever comprehensive scholarly edition of Ramsay's works, the six-volume Edinburgh Edition, published 2022-24, stated that there was no manuscript copy of the Address known to exist.
Valuer Tommy Alexander said: "Prior to now, no manuscript copy of Allan Ramsay's Address to the Town-Council of Edinburgh was known to exist.
A man holding up the poem by Allan Ramsay (Image: Supplied) "This significant literary historical discovery sheds new light on his compositional process, as in the seventh line of the poem we can see Ramsay revising his original word choice (unrecorded prior to now). Ramsay penned the Address as an appeal to the City Council, that they legislate against the pirating of his works.
"This they duly did, decreeing that vendors of Ramsay's verse were to retain only one third of their profits, with the majority share payable to Ramsay. Of interest here is the format in which Ramsay presents his poem, that of a letter literally addressed to named members of the Council. It may be the case that it was the receipt of this very document that prompted their intervention.
"Allan Ramsay was a titanic figure in the early Scottish Enlightenment. As a poet and playwright, as well as a collector of verse, he did much to crystalise the Scottish literary tradition. His influence can be strongly felt through the work of subsequent writers, among them Burns, Fergusson and Scott.
"The manuscript was found in complete obscurity, bundled together with miscellaneous ephemera and unframed artworks, consigned from a local house clearance."
Also up for auction at the two-day event is the painting Crucifiction by renowned Australian artist Roy De Maistre.
The signed oil on canvas work once hung in Iona Abbey, having been bought by the community directly from the artist, and is expected to fetch over £10,000.
Other items include a Chinese silk robe bought for a few pounds on Vinted, and a painting about Saint Mungo.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scottish Sun

3 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Hollywood star looks unrecognisable as she debuts new look on Glasgow set of new blockbuster

She looks worlds away from her Netflix character SPOTTED ON SET Hollywood star looks unrecognisable as she debuts new look on Glasgow set of new blockbuster Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HOLLYWOOD star looked completely unrecognisable after going blonde on the set of an upcoming blockbuster. The streets of Glasgow have been transformed for the filming of new sci-fi movie Ghostwriter. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Glasgow has been transformed for the filming Credit: Alamy 6 Ghostwriter has been filmed in the city for the past week Credit: Michael Schofield 6 Bothwell Street has seen a lot of filming take place Credit: Michael Schofield Parts of the city centre have been turned into the scenes from the fictional world of the movie, directed by JJ Abrams. Shop fronts have been sporting a funky new look for the movie while futuristic cars were driven along the street. Cinema fans have been out in force to try and catch a glimpse of some of the stars. Hollywood hunk Glen Powell has already been spotted around the city filming scenes. But one of his fellow big stars was out and about filming last night. Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, 22, is also starring in the movie. But she looked worlds away from her gothic Addams family persona while in Glasgow. She sported a blonde hairstyle and a leopard print long coat and she was seen kicking about the set. Bothwell Street and Blythswood Street were both closed last night and today as overnight scenes were filmed. Other scenes have been filmed underneath the city's Kingston Bridge and in Edinburgh city centre. Scots streets transformed for huge blockbuster as A-listers JJ Abrams and Glen Powell spotted The movie mania is set to come to a close in Glasgow as Ghostwriter filming is predicted to end early next week. But that doesn't mean the stars haven't taken a chance to enjoy some of what the city has to offer. Ghostwriters filmmaker JJ Abrams decided to head a few streets away from the set to enjoy a meal at a local restaurant, who were more than overjoyed to have the Star Wars director along for a bite to eat. 6 Jenna Ortega looked worlds away from her Addams family persona Credit: Wattie Cheung 6 She sported blonde hair and a leopard print coat Credit: Wattie Cheung Meanwhile Twisters star Powell posed for a pic with fans at a Glasgow cinema as he got into the movie mood. Ghostwriter is set to be released next year and will follow an author who reveals the fictional world he created is actually real. It is also said to also star Hollywood legend Samuel L Jackson.

The Herald Scotland

3 hours ago

• The Herald Scotland

10 arts exhibitions happening in Scotland this summer

Discover a selection of 19th-21st century British paintings, drawings and sculpture including works by modern British and Scottish Masters, Scottish Colourists and many others. It will also change throughout the summer as new works come in through June, July and August. Resistance 21 June-4 January. Entry from £4. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR. Pam Isherwood, Stop Clause 28 March, Whitehall, London, 9 January 1988 (Image: Bishopsgate Institute) Conceived by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Steven McQueen, Resistance explores how acts of resistance have shaped life in the UK, and the powerful role of photography in documenting and driving change. The exhibition brings together works from renowned photographers as well as lesser-known photographers who have also documented these powerful stories. Clay AD: everything is borrowed 21-28 June. Entry free. Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD. Artist Clay AD has put together a solo exhibition featuring a new sculpture installation as well as a five channel sound piece in collaboration with artist Hang Linton. According to the artist, the work is a prayer on grief, faith and the magic of rot and rather than rejecting spiritual systems outright, it asks what can be reimagined or salvaged from their remains. Switch Track 26 June-9 August. Entry free. Reid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art, 164 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G3 6RQ. Switch Track is a survey show of selected works from 1995-2025 representing 30 years since artist Victoria Morton graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1995. The exhibition carefully draws upon sketchbook materials, paintings and mixed media works from different points in time and brings together paintings, sculptural assemblages, photography and sound. Assembly 27 June-19 October. Entry free. The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, Gilbert Scott Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ. Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Margaret Salmon has put together an exhibition of new work at The Hunterian that has resulted from a process of community outreach, story counselling and cinematic experimentation. Discover film, photographs and sculptures in an installation that expands over time, inviting local audiences to return to the Hunterian's galleries as materials shift and evolve. Flow 21 June-25 July. Entry free. Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, Dundee, DD1 4HN. At a time when questions about climate change are both critical and contested, this exhibition explores the environmental and social significance of water. Questions such as why are we having more extreme floods; Are our rivers polluted; Is our drinking water supply safe are all addressed in this exhibition by Jean Duncan. Mirror Matter 28 June-13 September. Entry free. Ingleby Gallery, 33 Barony Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6NX. Aubrey Levinthal - Mirror Matter (Image: Aubrey Levinthal) Discover the first major UK exhibition from Philadelphia-based painter Aubrey Levinthal. Her works capture passing moments in the lives of a cast of characters in downtown Philadelphia and combine intimacy and openness that owes something to the likes of Bonnard, Vuillard, Matisse and Milton Avery. Her first exhibition in the UK, it's also accompanied by a 232 page monograph that considers her work over the past decade. Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact or Fiction 21 June-26 October. Entry from £10. Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, AB10 1FQ. Take a journey through the mysteries of the ocean and explore the deep sea with ancient and modern stories of strange creatures, sort of the fact from the fiction and learn about what really lurks beneath the waves and understand why tales of monsters persist. From a terrifying Feegee mermaid to the spindly legs of a giant Japanese spider crabs, there are lots of strange and wonderful things to see in this exhibition. Lens on Legacy: Glasgow Architectural Heritage 25 June-29 August. Entry free. Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ. Discover the beauty of Glasgow's at-risk historic buildings through the lens of Queens Park Camera Club. Through contemporary photography, the club aims to highlight the vulnerability of these historic buildings while also encouraging solutions and practical steps towards their repair and maintenance. Mugdock - Form and Texture 21 June-27 August. Entry free. Mugdock Country Park, Milngavie, G62 8EL. The first exhibition at Mugdock's Campsie Gallery is a photographic exploration by Alan McBridge of the popular destination's natural and built structures. The exhibition marks the opening of the Campsie Gallery in Mugdock which aims to enrich the cultural experiences available at the park.

Scotsman

4 hours ago

• Scotsman

Pride Edinburgh March 2025 brings colour to the city centre

Although the weather was slightly damper and darker than many had predicted on Saturday, the Edinburgh Pride march brought fun and colour to the city centre and old town, as thousands of people took part, including Scottish crime writer Val McDermid. Edinburgh was a sea of colour on Saturday as the city celebrated its 29th Pride parade, with the city painted with all the colours of the rainbow to promote inclusivity and diversity. The event has its origins in 'Lark in the Park' - an event organised by the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group in Princes Street Gardens in 1988. Six years later the first Pride Scotland March took place, with over 3,000 people taking part and enjoying a festival in the Meadows. There had since been 28 Prides in Edinburgh, due to a two year gap caused by the global pandemic, and pride and colour were yet again on show in the city centre on Saturday for the 29th hosting of the event in Scotland's Capital. 1 . Bringing the colour The annual Edinburgh Pride march took place in the city centre on Saturday, June 21, 2025. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales 2 . Crime writer Scottish crime writer Val McDermid (centre, right) joined Scotland's LGBTQ+ community at the annual Pride March in Edinburgh. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales 3 . Huge crowd Thousands flocked to the 30th Edinburgh Pride parade on Saturday in the city centre. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales 4 . Beard power This man attended Edinburgh Pride 2025 with a rainbow multi-coloured beard on Saturday. | Getty Images Photo: Jeff J Mitchell Photo Sales Related topics: PrideEdinburghDiversityPeopleScotland