TIME CAPSULE LEFT BY BUILDERS 120 YEARS AGO FOUND IN EDINBURGH'S KING'S THEATRE

A message-in-a-bottle has been discovered above the stage of Edinburgh's King's Theatre - hidden by craftsmen who built the venue 120 years ago.

During a special behind-the-scenes tour of Edinburgh's King's Theatre, the 119-year-old bottle was discovered by theatre photographer and historian Mike Hume while on a private tour.

The bottle was hidden inside the plaster crown at the centre of the proscenium arch, right above the stage.

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Mike and the Capital Theatres team identified that the piece of paper inside the bottle, which contained a list of contractor names, was dated to 1906 - the same year the King's Theatre opened.

The note gave details of the architects, draftsman plasterers and journeymen who worked on the construction of the theatre.

Mike, who is one of the theatre's donors, said: "This is the sort of discovery everyone hopes for on a project of this scale.

"When the builders of the King's Theatre placed this special trinket at the very centre of it, they intended to honour the local people who built the theatre.

"It's astonishing to think that this time capsule of history has been hidden in plain sight for nearly 120 years, silently bearing witness to the countless famous faces - and Edinburgh community performers - that have graced the stage of the King's."

But, to preserve the fragile document, expert conservators were required to safely remove its contents.

It was found in December 2024 and the Scottish Conservation Studio removed the plaster seal and bottle top - but could not remove the scroll of paper without potentially damaging it.

In February 2025, the base of the bottle was carefully removed by Laura Clair, a Glass Technician from the Edinburgh College of Art, to safely access its content.

Dated to October 1906, just two months before the King's opened its doors to the public, the bottle contained a list of contractor names.

It gives details of the architects, draftsman plasterers and journeymen (or apprentices) who worked on the construction of the theatre.

The bottle and its note will form a central part of The People's Archive - accessible when the theatre reopens in 2026.

Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres, said: "The redevelopment of the King's has been a thrilling journey from the very start. Finding a note from 1906, the very year the theatre first opened its doors, is apt as we prepare for the next chapter in the theatre's rich history.

"This remarkable find offers a poignant connection to the generations who have passed through the 'Grand Old Lady of Leven Street', the histories of which we will explore when The People's Archive launches later this year."

Abby Pendlebury, Heritage Engagement Manager at Capital Theatres, said: "We knew we had something really special when the bottle was uncovered. For 119 years, the bottle was waiting behind the crown - something that every audience member has seen since the theatre first opened in 1906.

"The significance of the message is that the list of names ranges from managers and directors to draughtsman, architects, and plasterers - people working on the site who were so proud of what they had built. There is pride and ownership in this note.

"Now we have the histories of those who made 'the people's theatre,' which we will proudly share as part of the King's origin story in The People's Archive and through new displays at the theatre when it reopens."

2025-03-23T11:42:30Z