This painting captures a typical Haddington close from the perspective of the drying green. Over the course of time subsidiary cottages, stores and workshops were built along the length of the rig, starting from the rear of the street-side tenement and running down towards the garden.

This painting shows the narrow close and back garden area of neighbouring buildings in Haddington High Street, 1948. Notice the metal rubbish bins and the washing line to the rear of the house.

Dorothea Nimmo Smith was born in Haddington in 1889. An amateur artist, she painted scenes in and around Haddington. East Lothian Council Museum Service cares for a large collection of her work. This collection is a rich visual source for those who are interested in recent local history.