B/W print; The eastern extremity of Fleet Street, looking east, in circa 1887 by London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company, circa 1887
Main details
| Reference number | 1998/89631 |
|---|---|
| Description | The eastern extremity of Fleet Street, looking east, in circa 1887. The view shows the narrowness of this end of Fleet Street and looks down the street, near Ludgate Hill railway bridge, with St Paul's Cathedral in the distance of the shot. There is a garden seat horse bus in the foreground of the shot (back view), and White notes that the outside seats had no slatting at the back of them, which made robbery and pickpocketing very easy. He also comments on the conductor standing at the bottom of the stairs of the bus, without uniform. The pavements are busy with people walking past the shops, and the area just before the bridge is congested with traffic and people. |
| Photographer | |
| Dates | circa 1887 |
| Collection | |
| Object type |
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| Photograph number | U54329 |
| Location | |
| Topics | |
| Completeness | 73% |
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Physical description
Item content Attribute Value Text Building: Brentini's Cafe RestaurantBuilding: City of London Toilet ClubBuilding: The Old Bell TavernAnnotation FLEET ST.: THE EASTERN EXTREMITY, LOOKING EAST, circa 1887. - This photograph shows the narrowness of this end of Fleet St. at the period. Observe the Omnibus: the outside seats have no slatting at the back, a peculiarity that was a rare good thing for the pickpockets of those days, and the prevalence of robberies on top of the omnibuses led to the introduction of the slatting-backed seats, so that the rear of the occupant was protected from the activities of any light-fingered passengers behind. The Conductor on this bus is a good type of the old-time bus conductor - the alert and courteous man who used to keep his eyes peeled for potential traffic, and with a "Bank, sir?" "Ludgate Hill, lady?" etc., picked up any number of passengers that the average conductor of to-day doesn't worry about. He wears no uniform, and he wears no punch (the one in the picture, of course).
Photograph (supplied Feb., 1923) by London Stereoscopic Co. UndergrounD may use for Slide only.
LUDGATE HILL.
For Past and Present Views see under CITY (GENERAL) File.Design Attribute Value Shot Medium exterior -
People involved
Role Person(s) involved Photographer London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company, circa 1887Copied by Topical Press, Jan 1953Colin Tait, May 1982 -
Associated companies, people and places
Places Location Fleet Street, City, EC4People Attribute Value People Charles White -