Vanishing London
Four Swans, Bishopsgate, photographed by William Strudwick & demolished 1873
In 1906, F G Hilton Price, Vice President of the London Topographical Society opened his speech to the members at the annual meeting with these words – ‘We are all familiar with the hackneyed expression ‘Vanishing London’ but it is nevertheless an appropriate one for – as a matter of fact – there is very little remaining in the City which might be called old London … During the last sixty years or more there have been enormous changes, the topography has been altered to a considerable extent, and London has been practically rebuilt.’
These photographs are selected from volumes of the Society’s ‘London Topographic Record,’ published between 1900 and 1939, which adopted the melancholy duty of recording notable old buildings as they were demolished in the capital. Yet even this lamentable catalogue of loss exists in blithe innocence of the London Blitz that was to come.
Bell Yard, Fleet St, photographed by William Strudwick
Pope’s House, Plough Court, Lombard St, photographed by William Strudwick
Lambeth High St photographed by William Strudwick
Peter’s Lane, Smithfield, photographed by William Strudwick
Millbank Suspension Bridge & Wharves, August 1906, photographed by Walter L Spiers
54 & 55 Lincoln’s Inn Fields and the archway leading into Sardinia St, demolished 1912, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Sardinian Chapel, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, August 1906, demolished 1908, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Archway leading into Great Scotland Yard and 1 Whitehall, September 1903, photographed by Walter L Spiers
New Inn, Strand, June 1889, photographed by Ernest G Spiers
Nevill’s Court’s, Fetter Lane, March 1910, demolished 1911, photographed by Walter L Spiers
14 & 15 Nevill’s Court, Fetter Lane, demolished 1911
The Old Dick Whittington, Cloth Fair, April 1898, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Bartholomew Close, August 1904, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Williamson’s Hotel, New Court, City of London
Raquet Court, Fleet St
Collingwood St, Blackfriars Rd
Old Houses, North side of the Strand
Courtyard of 32 Botolph Lane, April 1905, demolished 1906, photographed by Walter L Spiers
32 Botolph Lane, April 1905, demolished 1906, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Bird in Hand, Long Acre
Houses in Millbank St, September 1903, photographed by Walter L Spiers
Door to Cardinal Wolsey’s Wine Cellar, Board of Trade Offices, 7 Whitehall Gardens
Old Smithy, Bell St, Edgware Rd, demolished by Baker St & Edgware Railway
Architectural Museum, Cannon Row, Westminster
Images courtesy Bishopsgate Insitute
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Love the light reflectors in Bell Yard
Fascinated to see the photograph of the entrance to Cardinal Wolsey’s Wine Cellar at 7, Whitehall Gardens, now where the Ministry of Defence building stands.
The wine cellar itself, now known as Henry VIII’s Wine Cellar, of course still exists deep in the lower floors of the MOD building, and while I have been privileged to visit a number of times it otherwise sadly remains out of bounds for public visits.
It is beautifully preserved though, with much history recorded and readable regarding it’s preservation and how the cellar itself was underpinned and lowered further into the basement to allow the MOD edifice to rise above it. Used frequently for functions, presentations etc. It’s in good hands.
The wealth of visual details in the top photo kept me entertained (and squinting) for a half hour.
I loved the “pairings” — the two gents in black/the two ladies in white. The expanses of lettering/ the big rectangle still blank awaiting some message. The soft billowing bales on the left/the
hard cobbles underfoot. The huge teeming city enclosing this tiny secluded court. Oh, I went back to take one more look at the vehicle, and just noticed a man standing in the shadows.
“Melancholy” to the max. Yes, these locations have vanished, but WE are enriched by them today. Thank you GA, for shining a light, and lighting the lanterns.
The old wooden buildings in Smithfield look like a fire waiting to happen!
Well this took me on a little trip. In the photo labeled “Old Houses, North side of the Strand” I was curious about the sign on the left … rne & Thornthwaite and … cians to the Queen. After a little searching I came across a web page* that provided quite a lot of information about Horne & Thornthwaite who I am guessing were Opticians to the Queen as they produced a lot of optical equipment. As a retired laboratory scientist I found this interesting.
* https://www.microscopist.net/HTW.html