Our new online exhibition tells the story of Edinburgh’s landmark concert venue.
In 1896, Andrew Usher, a member of the distilling and brewing family with a passion for music, gifted £100,000 to the city of Edinburgh for the purpose of building a music hall.
Usher wanted to put quality concerts within the reach of people from all classes – but he would die in 1898, never to see his generosity and vision realised.
It was only in 1911, after several sites and designs were considered, that the foundation stone was finally laid by the King and Queen.
Three years later, on March 6th 1914, The Usher Hall opened its doors for its first ever concert.
Visit Capital Collections to discover the proposed site at the west end of the Meadows and the school that was demolished to make way for the concert building.
Concert programmes and leaflets give a flavour of the performances and star turns that have appeared over the years.
Images of City Organist John Kitchen and choir rehearsals give a glimpse behind the scenes at the present-day Usher Hall.
Tales of One City 
I think this exhibition should be on display somewhere for all to see – very interesting!
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No firm plans just yet but I think we’ll be hearing and seeing a lot more about the Usher Hall in the run up to the centenary on 6th March. Thanks for getting in touch.
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