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Society for Photographing Relics of Old London

Old Houses in Drury LaneREFERENCE CODE: LONDON COLLECTION MANUSCRIPTS/45

ADMINISTRATIVE/BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY: The Society for Photographing Relics of Old London originated in the wish of a few friends to preserve a record of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn, threatened with destruction in 1875, and actually demolished a few years later. The project, mentioned in The Times, was so well received, that it enabled the Society to follow up the first issue, and later on to double the annual number of photographs. By the twelfth years issue, published in April 1886, it was considered the project had reached its completion.



SCOPE AND CONTENT: Set of large, card-backed photographs, taken between 1875 and 1886, and published by the Society for Photographing Relics of Old London (April 1886), including:

  • 1. Entrance of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn; 2. 'Oxford Arms' Inn; 3. Entrance of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn; 4. Upper Gallery of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn; 5. One of the staircases at the 'Oxford Arms' Inn; 6. General view of the galleries at the 'Oxford Arms' Inn (originally issued 1875)
    - 7. Old houses in Wych Street; 8. Old houses in Wych Street; 9. Old houses in Drury Lane; 10. Old houses in Drury Lane; 11. Lincoln's Inn Gate House; 12. Lincoln's Inn: Old Square (originally issued 1876)
  • 13. Churchyard of St Bartholomew, Smithfield; 14. Churchyard of St Bartholomew, Smithfield; 15. Green Churchyard, St Bartholomew, Smithfield; 16. Window at the east end of St Bartholomew, Smithfield; 17. North side and 'Poors Churchyard' at St Bartholomew, Smithfield; 18. North side and 'Poors Churchyard' at St Bartholomew, Smithfield (originally issued 1877)
    - 19. Temple Bar; 20. 102 Leadenhall Street; 21. Old houses in Gray's Inn Lane; 22. Shop in Brewer Street, Soho; 23. The Sir Paul Pindar, Bishopsgate Street; 24. Old house in Holborn / Staple Inn, Holborn front (originally issued 1878)
  • 25. Canonbury Tower; 26. Canonbury Tower; 27. Barnard's Inn; 28. Barnard's Inn; 29. Barnard's Inn; 30. Old houses in Aldergate Street; 31. Old houses in Aldergate Street; 32. Shaftesbury House, Aldersgate Street; 33. Christ's Hospital; 34. Christ's Hospital; 35. Churchyard of St.Lawrence Pountney; 36. Old houses in Great Queen Street (originally issued 1879)
  • 37. General view from Charterhouse Square; 38. Charterhouse: Washhouse Court; 39. Charterhouse: Washhouse Court; 40. Charterhouse: The Cloisters; 41. Charterhouse: The Great Hall; 42. Charterhouse: The Great Hall; 43. Charterhouse: The Great Hall; 44. Charterhouse: The Great Hall; 45. Charterhouse: The Grand Staircase; 46. Charterhouse: The Governor's Room; 47. Charterhouse: Entrance to the Chapel; 48. Charterhouse: Founder's Tomb (originally issued 1880)
  • 49. King's Head Inn yard; 50. King's Head Inn yard; 51. White Hart Inn yard; 52. White Hart Inn yard; 53. George Inn yard; 54. Queen's Head Inn yard; 55. Queen's Head Inn yard; 56. Old houses in Borough High Street, Southwark; 57. St Mary Overy's Dock; 58. Old houses in Bermondsey Street; 59. Sion College, London Wall; 60. Oxford Market (originally issued 1881)
  • 61. Little Dean's Yard; 62. Ashburnham House: Exterior; 63. Ashburnham House: The Staircase; 64. Ashburnham House: The Staircase; 65. Ashburnham House: The Ante-room; 66. Ashburnham House: The Dining Room; 67. Ashburnham House: The Garden; 68. The Banquesting House, Whitehall; 69. The Water Gate of York House; 70. Lincoln's Inn Fields; 71. Lincoln's Inn Fields; 72. Lincoln's Inn Fields (originally issued 1882)
  • 73. Lambeth Palace: The G