Photograph of Princes Street in Edinburgh with pedestrians occupying the pavement to the left of the main road where there are horses and carriages. The Star Hotel stands on the left of the foreground. In the background stands the Nelson Monument on top of Calton Hill.

Princes Street was designed in the late 18th century and takes its name from King George III's two eldest sons; Prince George and Prince Frederick. It is a popular destination for Edinburgh's major hotels, being easily accessed on the city's main thoroughfare and because of its proximity to the city's rail links. A year earlier, Wilson's view of Prince's Street was the first 'instantaneous' view of a street published in Britain and rendered moving subjects as static with the use of very short exposure times. The Star Hotel was re-opened in 1863 as the Edinburgh Hotel.