Watercolour painting by Christabel Airy, daughter of Astronomer Royal, George Airy. The drawing is dated 29 May 1856 with a note that it was finished by C. Airy in 1860. It shows a view from the east window of the dining room in Flamsteed House, looking across the roof of the covered passage and the Front Court towards the Observatory buildings.

The covered passage provided direct sheltered access from Flamsteed House to the Observatory. It was added by Airy in 1840. A drawing of this by Christabel’s aunt, Elizabeth Smith, drawn soon after it was built, is at [RGO 116/3/12].

On the back of this painting by Christabel is a pencil sketch of a house and trees, perhaps representing the Airy’s second home at Playford, East Anglia. A view of Playford by Christabel’s mother, Richarda Airy, is held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum [http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/145982.html].