Adverts in the old Edinburgh Trade Directories - Background Notes on the Royal Patent Gymnasium

Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory Adverts

Royal Patent Gymnasium

Royal Crescent Park

The Royal Patent Gymnasium was built in Royal Crescent Park at the northern edge of Edinburgh New Town. It opened in 1865. Here is the description taken from Grant's Old & New Edinburgh, published 1865:

The Royal Patent Gymnasium

In this quarter we now find the Patent Royal Gymnasium, one of the most remarkable and attractive places of amusement of its kind in Edinburgh, and few visitors leave the city without seeing it.

At considerable expense it was constructed by Mr Cox of Gorgie House, for the purpose of affording healthful and exhilarating recreation in the open air to great numbers at once, and in April 1865 was publicly opened. ...

Large Rides

Among the many remarkable contrivances here was:

- a vast 'rotary boat' 471 ft in circumference, seated for 600 rowers, 471 feet in circumference.

- a 'giant see-saw' named 'Chang', 100 feet long and seven feet broad., supported on an axle and capable of containing 200 persons, alternately elevating them to a height of fifty feet, and then sinking almost to the ground.

- a 'velocipede paddle merry-go-round' , 160 feet in circumference, seated for 600 persons, who propel the machine by sitting astride on the rim, and push their feet against the ground.

- a 'self-adjusting trapeze' in five series of three each, enabling gymnasts to swing by the hands 130 feet from one trapeze to the other.

- a 'compound pendulum swing' capable of holding about a hundred persons and kept i motion by their own exertions.

Other Equipment

Here, also, are a vast number of vaulting and climbing poles, rotary ladders, stilts, spring-boards, quoits, balls, bowls, and little boats and canoes on ponds, propelled by novel and amusing methods.

Winter

In winter the ground is prepared for skaters on a few inches of frozen water, and when lighted up at night by hundreds of lights, the scene, with its musical accessories, is one of wonderful brightness, gaiety, colour and incessant motion.

[This sounds to be similar 'Winter Wonderland' funfair and ice rink in Princes Street Gardens in the early 2000s.]

Athletics Hall

Here, also, is an athletic hall, with an instructor always in attendance, and velocipedes, with the largest training velocipede course in Scotland.

Admisson

The charges of admission are very moderate, so as to meet the wants of children as well as adults.

[Admission was 6d, or 3d for under 12s]

Advertisements

Advertisements for the Royal Patent Gymnasium appeared in the Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directories in several years. I have not been able to check all years but here are some of the adverts.

- 1865, 1866 directories - No advert for the gymnasium found

- 1867, 1868 directories - Adverts were similar

- 1869 directory - Advert similar to 1868 but also refers to:

a) a new velocipede course

b) a new exhibition: Foreign and British, Dioramic and Mechanical, Curious and Comical

c) the Royal Gymnasium Hall (now open)

- 1870 directory - Advert similar to 1868 but also refers to c) above

- 1871 directory - Style changed. Advert now features only 2 rides

- The Patent Rotary Boat, 'Great Sea Serpent' "is seated for 600 Rowers, embarking and disembarking Passengers at four different Piers at opposite sides of the Island at the same time."

- The New Grand Planetarium Swing "Represents FOUR PLANETS, viz.: THE EARTH, NEPTUNE, JUPITER and SATURN. Each Planet describes a Vertical Orbit of nearly 300 feet, and can accommodate from Eight to Twelve Inhabitants at a time."

- 1872 directory - No advert for the gymnasium found

- 1873 directory - Directory not checked

- 1874 directory - No advert for the gymnasium found

- 1875 directory - Directory not checked

- 1877 directory - Advert featured same 2 rides as 1871

Also, large illustration of 'Grand Planetarium Swing'.

- 1878 directory - No advert for the gymnasium found

All adverts