Amazing Pictures of Old London

[Jazzy]

When you think about any city in the world that technology and “present time” as appropriated itself to it’s hard to imagine how things used to be. And I’m not necessarily talking about 20 years ago or even 50 years ago.



How about over 100 years ago? Yup. Over a century. That’s a damned long time. It’s almost as if you’re looking at pictures of a different world entirely. Today’s focus is on London or what people might call “Old London.”



Check out these timeless pictures: http://egotvonline.com/2011/02/21/old-london/

 

[Rapunzel]

Wow! With all those chimneys, no wonder they used to call London 'The Smoke'.



It's interesting to see St. Paul's Cathedral and what looks like St. Martin-in-the-fields church in the background.



Apparently, they built those old buildings around courtyards (you can see them in the first pics), so that people could have a little space, however the home owners used to rent them out to pig farmers so that every enclosed courtyard was full of pigs and pig manure. Very smelly, but the pig farmers paid rent to the home-owners which, in turn, paid their rents to the landlord. This means that the few coppers they earned could be spent on food, not rent.



One of the last pictures (fourth from end) looks like High Holborn (pronounced: High Ho-burn) which looks very much the same now as it did a couple of hundred years ago. See the picture underneath. (Sorry, it wouldn't let me open the first picture up to post)

Nice pics Jazzy, thanks for sharing them.

The statue is obviously a war memorial, which is why it wasn't in the first photo.

 

[Evil Eye]

Well, it certainly wasn't quite as high as it is today

 

[Raven]

I hate London, I only go for gigs these days. It looks amazing in those pictures though.

 

[Jazzy]

The only holiday I ever went on abroad was to London. I spent 8 days and fell in love with it. It was beautiful and I loved the architecture. The only thing that pissed me off was the Queen never invited me to join her for tea!

 

[Raven]

There are much more beautiful places in England. London is the capital so you except lots of people, but it is WAY to crowded for me. I always feel on edge when I go there. I'm not really a fan of the modern architechure in London, but the old buildings are beautiful.



For example: the Old War Offices in Whitehall

Here is one from King Edward VII's coronation procession, You can see The war offices being built in the background. The building was completed in 1906.

 

[Rapunzel]

Well, it certainly wasn't quite as high as it is today

Whut? It's the same height.

 

[Dy.namik]

Wow they all look very nice!

 

[Raven]

Rap. I thing evil meant theres no skyscrapers lol.

 

[The Dragon Master]

I've never been to London, even though I live in England, and from the picture's it's awesome, but I think Durham's much more better looking (This is coming from a Durham gal

). But give me Yorshire Dales/Lake District any day

 

[Raven]

I really want to go to the lake district. Hereford and surrounding areas is beautiful too.

 

[Evil Eye]

Rap. I thing evil meant theres no skyscrapers lol.

Yeah.