Description:Watercolour of James Watt's workroom in the attic at Heathfield Hall by William Costen Aitken.
The reverse of the picture reads "The Garret in Heathfield House, where James Watt amused himself in the declining years of his life sketched and drawn by W.C. Aitken then residing in Mayfield Heathfield Road Handsworth June 18th 1870"
T. Edgar Pemberton descibed Aitken in his biography of James Watt
"... Mr W.C. Aitken , a veritable Soho enthusiast and a master of the subject. Mr Aitken was a frequent visitor at Heathfield, and one of the first to cross the dusty threshold of James Watt's long sealed workroom. Never shall I forget his joy when he, in spite of the red tape lawyers, obtained permission to make a sketch of it. The result was a most carefully-finished drawing, which is today held in high esteem. When Mr Aitken once began talking about Soho there was no stopping him..."
Heathfield was demolished in 1924 and the contents of the workroom given to the Science Museum in London where it is on display today.
Pemberton, T. Edgar, "James Watt", Birmingham 1905, p193-4