‘Astonishing’ discovery at theatre found hiding in plain sight for 119 years

It may sound like a tale worthy of fiction but a historical discovery at a theatre in Scotland is all too real.

A message in a bottle, which was hidden by craftsmen building Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre, has been found by chance after 119 years.

Theatre photographer and historian Mike Hume was taking a behind-the-scenes private tour of the building when he spotted the bottle right above the stage.

It had been hidden in plain sight inside the plaster crown at the centre of the proscenium arch at the front of the stage.

The paper inside was dated October 1906, the same year the theatre opened to the public, and it listed details of the architects, draftsman plasterers and journeymen who worked on the building’s construction.

Mike, who is also one of the theatre’s donors, explained: ‘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.’

Since the bottle was found last December, it’s been a time-consuming process to remove the message hidden inside.

The bottle’s plaster seal and top were removed once the bottle was found, but it’s been a more painstaking process to get the delicate paper out without damaging it.

Laura Clair, a glass technician from the Edinburgh College of Art, carefully removed the base of the bottle last month, allowing the removal of the paper for the first time.

The bottle and paper will be put on display as part of The People’s Archive, which will open once the theatre reopens after renovations are completed next year.

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.’

Abby Pendlebury, heritage engagement manager at Capital Theatres, added: ‘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.’

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