Comments on: The London Alphabet

By: Andy Behrens

Andy Behrens — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:01:31 +0000

According to *London Exhibited in 1852″, page 612,

“Orange Market, Duke’s Place, Houndsditch, is an extensive market for the sale of oranges; large fortunes have been made in this market”

https://www.google.com/books/edition/London_Exhibited_in_1852/lCMLAAAAYAAJ?gbpv=1

By: Udayan Paul

Udayan Paul — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 19:40:21 +0000

Lovely … really enjoyed 🙂

By: the gentle author

the gentle author — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:06:51 +0000

In reply to Cat. These are public domain.

By: Cat

Cat — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:53:48 +0000

Do you know of any copyright on this? Can I download and print these?

By: Charlotte Beauvoisin 'Diary of a Muzungu'

Charlotte Beauvoisin 'Diary of a Muzungu' — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:02:34 +0000

Is O a riddle?
“Orange and Lemons say the bells of St. Clement’s”

By: Paul Seed

Paul Seed — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:06:28 +0000

RE the letter O in the London Alphabet:
The orange and nut market at Duke’s Street, Houndsditch, was described
in Henry Mayhew’s masterpiece, “London Labour and the London Poor”.
(http://www.jeffreymaynard.com/Mayhew.htm). It was an alternative to
Covent Garden, apparently popular with costermongers because it was easier
to drive a bargain there. The image may be of the exterior of the Great synagogue.
Pugin and Rowlandson painted a rather beautiful picture of the interior.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Microcosm_of_London_Plate_082_-_Synagogue%2C_Duke%27s_Place%2C_Houndsditch_%28tone%29.jpg)

By: Teresa Stokes

Teresa Stokes — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:01:07 +0000

The orange market was near Houndsditch, as the poem indicates. Its address was St James Place, now Creechurch Place which in Victorian days was a big open square in the heart of Jack the Ripper territory. If you look on Streetview now, it’s very dull, with one Victorian building, the rest totally modern, and the oranges have been replaced by a row of parked motorcycles.

By: Tara Bradford

Tara Bradford — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:35:22 +0000

This is fantastic! Great architecture endures…where would we be without books and photographs of the past to chart the journey??!! Thanks for sharing this. Makes me want to get on Eurostar to London ASAP!

By: joan

joan — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:32:53 +0000

I came to this entry having just visited the illustrator Sarah McIntyre’s blog – http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/ – (my daughter is a huge fan of her work) which featured pictures of the launch party for Chris Brown’s London alphabet:

http://www.merrellpublishers.com/?9781858945736

As I see there is a St Judes connection and Paul Bommer was at the launch I’m really hoping that you are going to be treating us to some of the images from that book too.

Best wishes,

Joan

By: Rhianwen Guthrie

Rhianwen Guthrie — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:04:27 +0000

I love this!
Very timely considering the publication of printmaker Chris Brown’s brilliant and more contemporary ‘An Alphabet of London’, published by Merrell. Well worth a look.
I wonder whether Chris has seen this?