These drawings were made in c.1772. An inscription stating ‘for M^r J Adam, Edin^g’ suggests that these drawings were made for Robert and James’s elder brother, John Adam, for his home in Edinburgh. At this time, his home was in a building he designed himself in 1762, on Adam Square just south of the Cowgate. The square was later removed in 1785 to connect the Cowgate to the street southwards out of the city, and in which Robert was involved in.

It is probable that these drawings were made for John before June 1772 which is when the Ayr bank collapsed. The brothers, including their youngest brother William, had engaged in a joint venture to build an ambitious scheme in London called the Adelphi. The collapse of the Ayr Bank led to a run on the Scottish banks which proved problematic for the Adam brothers’ who had taken out multiple loans to partly fund their Adelphi endeavours. Although they avoided bankruptcy, their practice never fully recovered and the relationship between John and Robert fractured. Whilst John remained in Edinburgh, it is not clear if these designs for his home were ever executed.

Literature: W. Brown, Williamson's directory for the City of Edinburgh, Canongate, Leith and suburbs, 1773-4, 1889, p. 4; A.T. Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, Volume II, Index, 1922, p. 12; E. Harwood, The Furniture of Robert Adam, 1963, p. 49; I. G. Brown, 'Architects or Gentlemen? Adam Heraldry & its Implications', Architectural Heritage: IV, 1993, pp. 82-92

Louisa Catt, 2023

Scheme

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