December 2016 archive

Limehouse – London’s first Chinatown

Like many other immigrants, settling in the East End create myths – China Town in Limehouse was no different The mid-1880s had seen the beginnings of a Chinatown in London, with the establishment of grocery stores, eating houses, meeting places and Chinese street names in the East End. By 1890 two distinct yet small Chinese …

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Shepherd’s Bush Market

Shepherd’s Bush Market is located on the east side of the railway viaduct for the Hammersmith and City Tube line, and is bordered on the north side by the Uxbridge Road, and on the south by the Goldhawk Road. The market sits on land owned by Transport for London and is the subject (at time …

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Winter 1962-3

A London bus struggles through the snow during the infamous winter of 1962/3. This particular winter set in on Boxing Day 1962 with the last of the snow not melting until March 1963. Once this photo had been published on The Underground Map Facebook page, the following comments were received: Chris Gray: My favourite winter. …

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Whitestone Pond

[advanced_iframe securitykey=”73bfdf36bff161fdb6d48c80a87afbe943e66891″ src=”http://theundergroundmap.com/iframe.html?id=37072&mapyear=1860&zoom=16&show=westbourne&iheight=400″ width=”400″ height=”400″] Whitestone Pond lies 135 metres above the London Basin, and at the summit of Hampstead Heath marks the highest point in London. This area, lying above the pond, is the source of one of London’s “lost” rivers, the River Westbourne. These headwaters gathered to form the pond before heading off …

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Underground for Business or Pleasure

Underground for Business or Pleasure; by FE Witney, 1913 The first graphic posters were commissioned by Frank Pick, who was made responsible for London Underground’s publicity in 1908. Then, as now, the Underground was primarily used by commuters but the works he authorised sought to promote the benefits of the transport network and provide London …

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Kingston Bridge

Until Putney Bridge was opened in 1729, Kingston Bridge was the only crossing of the river between London Bridge and Staines Bridge. According to 16th century antiquarian John Leland, the bridge existed in the centuries when Anglo-Saxon England existed (after Roman Britain and before 1066). He wrote “And yn the old tyme the commune saying …

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Ackermann’s

Rudolph Ackermann (born 20 April 1764 in Stollberg, Electorate of Saxony and died on 30 March 1834 in Finchley, London) was an Anglo-German bookseller, inventor, lithographer, publisher and businessman who opened a shop at 101 The Strand. The “Repository of Arts” became a most fashionable place for the upper classes of London to visit. The shops was …

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Kilburn Wells

The fashion for taking ‘medicinal waters’ in the 18th century came to Kilburn when a well of chalybeate waters (water impregnated with iron) was discovered near the Bell Inn in 1714. In an attempt to compete with the nearby Hampstead Well, gardens and a ‘great room’ were opened to promote the well, and its waters …

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