James Miller, possibly by Mungo Burton
James Miller was the son of George Miller, who had established East Lothian’s first printing press in 1795. He joined his father in the business and was given charge of the press when it was removed from Dunbar to Haddington. From publishing his own poetry inspired by local history and events he moved on to write a series of histories of local communities.
This is an oil portrait on a stretched canvas. The subject is a seated male figure wearing a coat and white cravat. The sitter faces oblique left and holds a book above his lap. The background is a window and a decorative red drape or curtain.
James Miller’s histories were the first popular works to attempt to cover each of East Lothian’s towns in single volumes. They are best on contemporary detail as Miller had recorded many of the events of his time as reportage for publication in newspapers and periodicals. His anecdotal style influenced several other local authors in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
Museum id no. 1998.40.2
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