The most memorable photographs are often those that capture ordinary life rather than extraordinary events.
This charming postcard, with the simple message “Good Old Portobello,” transports us back to the seaside suburb of Portobello in 1903. In the foreground, a local policeman appears to be having a quiet word with a young boy while several of his companions watch the encounter unfold. We will never know what prompted the conversation, but the scene offers a wonderfully authentic glimpse into everyday life in Edwardian Edinburgh.
At the junction of Brighton Place and Bath Street, a policeman looks as if he is solving a small local problem.
A street lamp is being repaired.
Four men are passing the time on the corner of the High Street and Brighton Place.
Trams, probably the number 21 or number 22, are going to and from Princes Street.
A policeman has a “word” with a young man on Portobello High Street.
Four men stand at the corner of Brighton Place and Portobello High Street, while two trams make their way along the road.
A street lamp under repair and a man with a basket, perhaps bread from the nearby bakery.
The sender of the postcard wrote “Good Old Portobello” upside down on the front of the card.
The card was sent on the 9th June 1903 to The Whim Farm, Lamancha.
Good Old Portobello – Video
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