Comments on: Ghosts Of Old London

By: Janice Skilton

Janice Skilton — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 21:55:48 +0000

I used to wonder why these old buildings were demolished, now l see they wouldn’t have stood mich longer!
No cars, litter or crowds.
Life must have been so tough, this is why we won 2 world wars.
If one could live through this, one could survive anything.
I wondered how people coped in the winter and the rain.
No wonder life was so short and so many babies and children died so very young…. Excellent photographs, so full of information and wonder.
Thank you very muck fot sharing….

By: George Cowie

George Cowie — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 06:41:09 +0000

These photos remind me of my mother’s photos when she traveled in England for a month back in the late 1930s. I imagine that her photos of London and England then are much changed today, after the damage wrought during the Blitz. Her favorite photo was in front of 10 Downing, dressed properly for the photographer. She did travel around the southern counties in the company of her young lady friends, remarking on the hazards of changing tires when they were punctured by road hazards, but loving the stays in the small villages.

By: Terry Towels

Terry Towels — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 07:57:42 +0000

You write beautifully. When I first looked at these pictures, I thought that they were the basis for the alternate world of London in Harry Potter. Your words made me slow down and look. Thank you.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 16:10:48 +0000

I just realized that the reason these shots lack crowds/people/carriages is that they were probably very long exposures, and fast-moving objects don’t show up. Reminds me of Atget’s Paris shots.

By: Janet M

Janet M — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 19:23:07 +0000

Even though a few of the places were in need of repair, they are all beautiful and architecturally interesting. I contrast this with the ugly towers that are being thrown up in the present. Did architects (or builders) just have more imagination in the past?

By: Susan Lendroth

Susan Lendroth — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 17:41:51 +0000

As someone who also feels that layering of other times, other lives, it is ever a pleasure to immerse myself in your exploration of London past. This year I find myself drawn to Medieval mysteries and documentaries about Tudor feasts and Elizabethan revels. Another year it might be “A Christmas Carol” or Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Unlike Mr. Pussy in front of the fire, I can’t seem to find contentment in the immediate alone. The echos always call.

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 07:17:03 +0000

Fascinating photographs. Easy to imagine Dicken’s characters hurrying along those streets.

By: Melissa C.

Melissa C. — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 04:31:56 +0000

“It is the time of year when I think of ghosts, when shadows linger in old houses and a silent enchantment reigns over the empty streets.” I feel the same way about old London that you do about these photographs. Walking through the Tower of London and standing at a window, I think of all those who stood here before me hundreds of years ago and what their thoughts were. I often feel, when I wander the streets of London, that I live two lives. The one full of the rush of modern life and the lives that were lived over a thousand years on these very same streets. To me, an American visitor, I’m constantly amazed at how turning a corner will reveal a new mystery, a new adventure into the past. Reading your posts remind me of that thrill when I discover a new fascinating story behind another building or photograph.

By: RLWright

RLWright — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 00:23:41 +0000

Very interesting. Are any “now” pictures available to view?

By: Peter Holford

Peter Holford — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 22:40:12 +0000

The Bishopsgate archive is endlessly fascinating – a superb archive of vanished London in high resolution. Once again thank you for sharing, GA.