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Secondary sourcePhotograph24 June 2018

Tomb of Adam Smith

Chabe01 · 24 June 2018

A photograph of Adam Smith's grave monument in Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh, inscribed with his name and achievements.

The grave monument marking Adam Smith's burial place, inscribed with his name and major works.

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Stone monument with an arched niche, a carved head at the top of the arch, and a central inscribed plaque reading: Here are deposited the remains of Adam Smith, Author of the Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations, born June 1723, died July 1790. Gravel ground and a small evergreen shrub below.
Chabe01, Tomb of Adam Smith, Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh, 2018.

About this source

What it is

This 2018 photograph shows the stone tomb of Adam Smith in Canongate Kirkyard, Edinburgh. The inscription records his name, his works, and the dates of his birth and death.

Why it matters

The tomb is a lasting physical marker of Smith's burial place, naming him as the author of his two famous books. It shows how he was remembered immediately by those who buried him.

Look closer

  • What does the inscription choose to say about Smith, and what does it leave out?
  • Why might his books be mentioned on his tomb rather than other parts of his life?
  • What can gravestones tell historians that other sources cannot?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Adam Smith on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, LL.D. and F.R.S., formerly Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. In two volumes, Vol. I. London, printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, in the Strand, MDCCLXXVI.Book

Primary source

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith · 1776

Scan of the title page of the 1759 first edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. Centered ornament below. Imprint reads London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, and A. Kincaid and J. Bell, in Edinburgh, MDCCLIX.Book

Primary source

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Adam Smith · 1759

Black and white engraving of a standing man in profile wearing a tricorn hat, powdered wig, and long buttoned coat, holding a cane, beside a round table with books and an inkstand. Bookshelves and a checkered floor are behind him. Caption below reads 'The Author of the Wealth of Nations'. Signed 'RAY' and dated 1790 at lower left.Painting

Primary source

Adam Smith, 1790

John Kay · 1790

Oil painting of a man in a powdered white wig and dark high-collared coat with blue-tinged shading, turned to the left, against a dark brown background. He has a slight closed-mouth expression.Painting

Secondary source

The Muir Portrait of Adam Smith

Unknown · c. 1790

Evening photo of Panmure House, a stone building with lit windows and a glass-fronted entrance at street level, with a sign reading Adam Smith's Panmure House. Dusk sky, paved street in foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Panmure House

1691-1693 (built); Smith resided 1778-1790

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