Comments on: Vanishing London

By: Walter

Walter — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:46:20 +0000

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

By: Cherub

Cherub — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:06:30 +0000

The old wooden buildings in Smithfield look like a fire waiting to happen!

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:26:14 +0000

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.

By: Richard Cleaver

Richard Cleaver — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:09:58 +0000

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.

By: parktown

parktown — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 09:59:36 +0000

Love the light reflectors in Bell Yard