Lower Regent Street :
A hackney carriage waits at the end of a long row of horse drawn hansom cabs facing the striking round portico and spire of All Soul's Anglican Church on Langham Place at the north end of Regent Street.
Designed by John Nash and completed in 1823, All Soul's suffered serious bomb damage in World War Two, taking some ten years to restore. All Soul's now appears somewhat dwarfed by Broadcasting House and the new BBC Egton wing.
Waiting for Business, Regent Street :
A close up of hackney carriage no 4539 and a long line of hansom cabs awaiting customers in Lower Regent Street.
London from St Paul's :
The view of a rather smoky London, taken from atop Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece of St Paul's Cathedral.
The four spires atop the tower of St Sepulchre-Without-Newgate Church (refer slide further down this page) are visible at upper far left; the crenelated Great Hall of Christ's Hospital School at Newgate (built by John Shaw 1825-1829) in centre (demolished after 1902); with the spire of Sir Christopher Wren's Christ Church in Newgate Street at right. Christ Church has not been restored after being fire bombed during the Blitz although the distinctive tower remains.
Covent Garden Market :
A hawker's van and drays outside Covent Garden Market, for many years the largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market in the United Kingdom.
Built in 1830 and owned until 1913 by the Dukes of Bedford, the market moved to new premises in 1974, the old premises becoming a shopping centre and tourist attraction in 1980.
Hawker's Van and Drays :
A close-up of a hawker's van and drays in the congested courtyard outside Covent Garden Market.
A cover on the delivery van at left rear reads "GNR 490" for Great Northern Railway, their goods terminus being at King's Cross.
Fleet Street & St Paul's :
A view looking up an ever busy Fleet Street towards Ludgate with the silhoutte of St Paul's Cathedral dome just visible in the background.
This slide proved to be the key to accurately dating these slides. Billboards on the building at far right advertise that the long established Men's Outfitters "Chas Baker & Co." moved to Ludgate Hill on the "1st June". We now know that this move took place in 1892.
Fleet Street :
A close-up of a busy Fleet Street devoid of traffic signals and double yellow lines.
Elegant hanging cast iron gas lamps at left plus two decorative gas street lamps are visible with the spire of St Martin Within Ludgate Church at Blackfriars just visible in front of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
In middle distance can just be seen the South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company viaduct crossing Ludgate Hill to Ludgate Hill Railway Station, which also enabled main line trains to run north and south through the City of London.
St Laurence Fountain, Guildhall :
The St Lawrence Fountain as originally located outside the Church of St Lawrence Jewry in the Guildhall Yard off Gresham Street. Designed by the Architect John Robinson, with the bronze sculpture carried out by the Artist Joseph Durham, the fountain was erected in 1866 and included, as the name implies, a drinking fountain.
Dismantled in the 1970's due to redevelopment of the Guildhall and after languishing in storage for many years, the fountain has recently been rebuilt on the eastern side of Carter Lane Gardens, just south of St Paul's Cathedral.
"The Alhambra Theatre" :
Located on the Eastern side of Leicester Square, the iconic "Alhambra Theatre" originally opened in 1854 as "The Royal Panopticon" before taking on the name of "Alhambra" in 1858. Destoyed by fire in 1882, the building shown here dates from 1884, being partially rebuilt in 1888 and in 1892 (which appears to still be in progress with scaffolding around the Moorish styled domes). Lettering along the top of the building reads "Alhambra Theatre of Varieties"
Serving as a very popular music hall venue until the advent of films, The "Alhambra" went into decline after the First World War and was demolished in 1936. The site is now occupied by the Odeon Leicester Square.
Bartholomew's Turkish Baths at 23 Leicester Square appear just to left of the The Alhambra.
Apsley House :
Apsley House, being the residence of Dukes of Wellington and located at Hyde Park Corner holds the coveted address of 'Number One, London'. It now serves as a museum and art gallery with the Dukes of Wellington happily retaining part of the building for their own use.
Built by the renowned Architect Robert Adam between 1771 - 1778, the most famous occupant of Apsley House has been Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, Soldier, Statesman, and a leading military and political figure of the 19th century.
Surrounding buildings have since been demolished with the Wellington Arch at left being moved to the north western corner of Green Park.
Horse Drawn Omnibus :
A Hammersmith London Road Carriage Company horse drawn omnibus passing 'Number One, London' at Hyde Park Corner.
St Sepulchre Without Newgate Church :
St Sepulchre Without Newgate Church on Holborn Viaduct, as viewed from Old Bailey. The church narrowly avoided destruction during the Second World War, a bomb destroying the 18th century watch-house in the churchyard and the surrounding area suffering very heavy damage.
Hackney Carriage :
A close up of a horse drawn hackney carriage, no 6551, waiting alongside a very elaborate four branch gas lamp at Old Bailey.
The Guildhall :
A damaged but still interesting view of the Guildhall located off Gresham and Basinghall Streets. Despite suffering the loss of the Great Hall roof during a Luftwaffe fire-bombing raid during World War Two, the Guildhall still serves as the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London.
Guard's Memorial :
The striking Guard's Memorial commemorates the Crimean War, being unveiled on Waterloo Place in 1861. The memorial consists of three Guards Men with the female allegorical figure atop referred to as 'Honour' (now known as 'Victory'). Cast in bronze captured at the Battle of Sebastopol, the sculptor was John Bell.
The monument was dismantled in 1914 and moved 30 feet north to make room for two further statues. Larger but less ornate lamp stands have replaced the original highly decorative 1861 gas lamps. The building at left appears to have been considerably rebuilt.
Grave of Daniel Defoe :
The white obelisk gravestone of the Writer, Journalist and Pamphlateer Daniel Defoe at Bunhill Fields Cemetery in the Borough of Islington.
Born c,1659-1661 and gaining enduring fame as the author of 'Robinson Crusoe' (1719), Daniel Defoe died in 1731.
Smithfield Market :
Outside the "Grand Hall" of Smithfield Meat Market (seen at rear) sits a granite trough with the wording "Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association" carved into it.
The objectives of the Association, which had been established in 1859, were to promote the provision of clean drinking water for people and animals. This trough provided drinking fountains at both ends and presumably water for horses etc in the centre. The trough remains in situ today.
Statue to King George III :
This bronze equestrian statue by Matthew Coates Wyatt to King George III is sited at the junction of Pall Mall East, the Haymarket, and Cockspur Street, having been erected in 1836. The statue represents the King in military uniform and mounted on his favourite charger, and holding his cocked hat with his right hand. The statue sits atop a Portland stone plinth. This scene, at what is now a busy intersection, is somewhat obscured by trees.
Street Sweeper :
A lone street sweeper with his peaked cap and frock coat quietly working beside the statue to King George III at the junction of Pall Mall East, the Haymarket, and Cockspur Street. The traffic is heading down Cockspur Street at right with Haymarket leading off to the left.