Two Edinburgh worthies, Queen Street

What it is

This is a photograph taken by kim traynor on 1 January 2011. It shows two stone statues of standing men in period dress, set in Gothic niches on a sandstone building facade in Queen Street, Edinburgh. Each statue stands on a carved corbel, with heraldic or decorative relief below. The left figure wears a coat and cravat, and the right figure wears a tricorn hat and holds a sword.

Why it matters

The statues honour people the building's makers thought worth remembering, and they show how Edinburgh has chosen to display its notable figures on public buildings. The record says Hume may be among them, but it does not confirm which figures are shown. Hume was a Scottish philosopher, economist and historian who lived from 1711 to 1776.

Look closer

• What clothing and objects, such as the hat and sword, help you guess the period and the status of each figure?
• The record does not say who these two men are. What clues in the image could help you find out?
• Why might a city place statues of its past figures high on a building rather than at street level?