People's Story Museum

Lying opposite the Museum of Edinburgh, the People's Story is situated in the upper floors of the historic Canongate Tolbooth (1591) on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Opened as a museum in 1954, it describes the life, work, health and recreation of Edinburgh's people, from the late 18th Century to the present day. This multi-sensory experience uses sights, smells and sounds to describe the city's industries and trades. There are also reconstructions of a jail cell, complete with occupants, various tradesmen's workshops, a 1940s kitchen, wash-house, public house and tea room. The museum houses a substantial collection of objects and artefacts, including a collections of trades union banners and friendly society regalia.

The People's Story we see today was opened on the 14th July 1989 by politician John Smith (1938-94) and Campbell Christie (b.1937), General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

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