The Society for Photographing Relics of Old London was founded in 1875 in London, England, initially with the purpose of recording the Oxford Arms, a traditional galleried public house on Warwick Lane that was to be demolished as part of the redevelopment of the Old Bailey.
Alfred & John Bool took the photographs, and when the project was announced in a letter to The Times, the news received such a positive response that the society's work was continued, with a total of twelve issues being produced over twelve years, containing a total of 120 photographs.
The photographs were commissioned to preserve an architectural record of buildings, some of which were built before the Great Fire of London in 1666, and which were scheduled for demolition as part of the city's urban redevelopment measures at the end of the 19th century. It was important to choose a photographic technique that would last for generations.
In 1870, the pigment printing process was invented. Society member Henry Dixon mastered the process, and the photographic images are still of excellent technical quality today. The group continued to document the old buildings of London threatened with demolition until its dissolution in 1886.
List of photographs The 120 photographs published by the group over its lifetime were titled: Entrance of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn 'Oxford Arms' Inn Entrance of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn Upper Gallery of the 'Oxford Arms' Inn One of the staircases at the 'Oxford Arms' Inn General view of the galleries at the 'Oxford Arms' Inn (originally issued 1875) Old houses in Wych Street Old houses in Wych Street Old houses in Drury Lane Old houses in Drury Lane Lincoln's Inn Gate House Lincoln's Inn: Old Square (originally issued 1876) Churchyard of St Bartholomew, Smithfield, London Churchyard of St Bartholomew, Smithfield Green Churchyard, St Bartholomew, Smithfield Window at the east end of St Bartholomew, Smithfield North side and 'Poors Churchyard' at St Bartholomew, Smithfield North side and 'Poors Churchyard' at St Bartholomew, Smithfield (originally issued 1877) Temple Bar 102 Leadenhall Street Old houses in Gray's Inn Road Shop in Brewer Street, Soho The Sir Paul Pindar, Bishopsgate Street Old house in Holborn / Staple Inn, Holborn front (originally issued 1878) Canonbury Tower Canonbury Tower Barnard's Inn Barnard's Inn Barnard's Inn Old houses in Aldergate Street Old houses in Aldergate Street Shaftesbury House, Aldersgate Street Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital Churchyard of St.Lawrence Pountney Old houses in Great Queen Street (originally issued 1879) General view from Charterhouse Square Charterhouse: Washhouse Court Charterhouse: Washhouse Court Charterhouse: The Cloisters Charterhouse: The Great Hall Charterhouse: The Great Hall Charterhouse: The Great Hall Charterhouse: The Great Hall Charterhouse: The Grand Staircase Charterhouse: The Governor's Room Charterhouse: Entrance to the Chapel Charterhouse: Founder's Tomb (originally issued 1880) King's Head Inn yard King's Head Inn yard White Hart Inn yard White Hart Inn yard George Inn yard Queen's Head Inn yard Queen's Head Inn yard Old houses in Borough High Street, Southwark St Mary Overy's Dock Old houses in Bermondsey Street Sion College, London Wall Oxford Market (originally issued 1881) Little Dean's Yard Ashburnham House: Exterior Ashburnham House: The Staircase Ashburnham House: The Staircase Ashburnham House: The Ante-room Ashburnham House: The Dining Room Ashburnham House: The Garden Banqueting House, Whitehall The Water Gate of York House Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields (originally issued 1882) Lambeth Palace: The Gate House Lambeth Palace: The Great Hall Lambeth Palace: The Lollards' Tower Old House, Palace Yard, Lambeth Old houses, Aldgate Old houses, Aldgate 'The Golden Axe', St Mary Axe No.37 Cheapside No.73 Cheapside ("Old Mansion House") Old house, Great Ormond Street Old house, Queen Square, Bloomsbury Shop, Macclesfield Street, Soho (originally issued 1883) Old houses, Fleet Street The 'Old Bell', Holborn The 'Old Bell', Holborn St Giles, Cripplegate Old house, Fore Street Old house, Great Winchester Street Austin Friars Staircase of Austin-Friars Doorways, Laurence Pountney Hill College Street Innholders' Hall Doorway, College Hill (issued 1884) Inner Temple Inner Temple Inner Temple Middle Temple Middle Temple Middle Temple Gray's Inn Gray's Inn Clement's Inn: Garden House Clifford's Inn Staple Inn Hall Six small subjects (originally issued 1885) St John's Gate, Clerkenwell Old houses in The Strand Great St Helen's, Bishopsgate Street Tennis Court, James Street, Haymarket Emanuel Hospital, Westminster Queen Anne's Gate Chimney-piece, Sessions House, Clerkenwell Chimney-piece, Court House, St Andrew's, Holborn Chimney-piece, Tallow Chandler's Hall Court room, New River Company Three doorways Five small subjects (missing) (issued 1886)
Gallery
References
External links Archives at Bishopsgate Institute Royal Academy collections: Society for Photographing Relics of Old London Spitalfields Life: In Search of Relics of Old London