Charles Baker – Enlarged Pictorial Plan Of London – London In 1910
Baker, Charles
£225.00
Availability: In stock
Product Description
Charles Baker – Enlarged Pictorial Plan Of London – London In 1910
Publisher: Charles Baker
Price: £225 (post-free in the UK)
Publication Date: 1910
Edition: 1st edition thus
Format: Lithograph
Condition: Very good plus
Sheet Size: 97.8cm x 46.2cm opened.
Condition:
Folding map. Size: 97.8cm x 46.2cm opened. Lithograph. map bright and clean. Minor wear, age-toning and minor splits to the fold-intersections. Very minor closed tears to the outer margins. Scarce.
Location: BR: 002678
London in 1910: A Brief Description
By 1910, London was the largest city in the world, with a population exceeding seven million. It was a city of power and influence, the heart of the British Empire, and a centre of finance, commerce, and culture. Yet, despite its grandeur, it was also a city of stark contrasts—where opulence and privilege coexisted with poverty and hardship.
Urban Landscape and Architecture
London in 1910 was a city of Edwardian elegance and industrial grit. The skyline was dominated by the great landmarks of an earlier age—St Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, and the Tower of London—but new additions, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the grand hotels of the Strand, reflected a growing appetite for luxury and modernity.
The West End remained the domain of the wealthy, with Mayfair, Belgravia, and Kensington housing Britain’s aristocracy and emerging industrial elite in graceful Georgian and Victorian townhouses. Wide boulevards and electric street lighting gave the district an air of sophistication, particularly along Regent Street and Piccadilly.
By contrast, the East End, including Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, and Stepney, remained crowded and impoverished. Overcrowded tenements and narrow alleyways housed thousands of working-class Londoners, many employed in factories, docks, or small workshops. Though social reforms were beginning to improve conditions, much of the area remained a warren of backstreets, dimly lit public houses, and bustling markets.
Industrial areas along the Thames, particularly in the Docklands, were filled with warehouses, cranes, and ships, as London remained one of the busiest ports in the world. The river was still a major transport route, though increasing numbers of Londoners were now using trams, omnibuses, and the Underground.
Transport and Infrastructure
By 1910, London’s transport system was transforming rapidly. The Underground, first opened in 1863, had expanded significantly, with new deep-level electric tube lines connecting Paddington, King’s Cross, and the West End. Londoners now had faster, cleaner, and more efficient ways to travel compared to the old, steam-powered Metropolitan and District lines.
Above ground, horse-drawn omnibuses were being replaced by motorised buses, while trams ran along the major thoroughfares. The first motor taxis (or hackney carriages) had begun to appear, competing with the traditional horse-drawn hansom cabs.
Railway stations such as Waterloo, Victoria, and Liverpool Street linked the city to the rest of Britain, while the Port of London continued to be a hub for international trade. The new Tower Bridge, completed in 1894, had become an iconic gateway to the city, symbolising London’s global importance.
Society and Class Divisions
London remained a deeply divided society. The upper classes—aristocrats, politicians, and wealthy industrialists—enjoyed lives of leisure, attending the opera at Covent Garden, dining in exclusive clubs in St James’s, and shopping at Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Many still employed large households of servants, though domestic service was slowly declining as new employment opportunities emerged for the working classes.
The middle classes, including professionals, civil servants, and shopkeepers, lived in growing suburbs such as Hampstead, Clapham, and Ealing, commuting into the city via train or tram. Edwardian values emphasised respectability, home life, and civic duty, with the middle classes playing a growing role in social and political affairs.
For the working classes, conditions varied widely. Many still lived in slums and tenements, particularly in the East End, where poverty and overcrowding were rife. However, social reforms in housing, sanitation, and education were slowly improving life. The Labour movement was gaining traction, with trade unions and socialist organisations campaigning for better wages and working conditions.
Women, though still largely excluded from public life, were beginning to push for greater rights and independence. The suffragette movement, led by Emmeline Pankhurst and the Women’s Social and Political Union, was gaining momentum, with protests, marches, and even acts of civil disobedience demanding votes for women.
Commerce and Industry
London in 1910 was the financial capital of the world, home to the Bank of England, the London Stock Exchange, and numerous merchant banks. The city’s wealth was built on trade, finance, and the vast resources of the British Empire, with goods from India, Africa, and the Caribbean arriving daily at the docks.
Shops and department stores flourished. Selfridges, which had opened in 1909, represented the modern retail experience—luxurious, grand, and designed to attract the growing middle classes. Markets such as Smithfield (meat), Billingsgate (fish), and Covent Garden (fruit and vegetables) remained vital for daily trade.
Industries such as engineering, textiles, and shipbuilding thrived, employing thousands in factories and workshops. Electricity was becoming more widespread, replacing gas lighting in homes and businesses, while motor cars were still a luxury but becoming more common.
Crime and Law Enforcement
London in 1910 was a relatively well-policed city compared to the past, thanks to the Metropolitan Police, established in 1829. However, crime remained a problem, particularly in poorer areas where theft, fraud, and violent crime were common. Notorious criminal gangs, such as the Elephant and Castle Mob, operated in the city, engaging in protection rackets and illegal gambling.
Prisons such as Newgate and Pentonville were still in operation, though the days of public executions and transportation to the colonies were long gone. Capital punishment was still legal, but hanging was now a private affair carried out behind prison walls.
The Whitechapel Murders of the 1880s had left a lasting impression on the city, and the police continued to modernise their methods in response to rising crime and social unrest.
Culture and Leisure
London’s cultural scene was thriving. Theatres in the West End, including the Lyceum, Adelphi, and Drury Lane, staged plays by Shaw, Wilde, and Barrie, while music halls in the East End provided entertainment for the working classes.
The city’s museums and galleries, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, attracted visitors from all walks of life. Scientific and intellectual pursuits were flourishing, with public lectures and exhibitions showcasing new discoveries in medicine, engineering, and the natural sciences.
Sport was becoming increasingly popular, with football, cricket, and rugby drawing large crowds. Clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur were attracting devoted followings. Wimbledon had already established itself as a prestigious tennis tournament, and the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race remained a celebrated annual event.
Londoners of all classes also enjoyed parks and open spaces, including Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and Hampstead Heath, which provided respite from the city’s growing industrialisation.
Conclusion
London in 1910 was a city of innovation and tradition, on the brink of modernity yet still deeply tied to its past. It remained the imperial capital of the world, rich in history and wealth, but also grappling with social change, political movements, and technological progress. As the decade progressed, war, suffrage, and industrial advances would shape the city’s future, but in 1910, London stood as a symbol of British power, prestige, and complexity.
Charles Baker’s Pictorial Maps: A Brief Description
Charles Baker & Co., a well-known London-based firm, produced some of the most distinctive pictorial maps of London during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. These maps combined cartographic precision with artistic flair, offering a visually engaging depiction of the city at a time of significant urban expansion.
Design and Artistic Style
Baker’s pictorial maps were distinguished by their axonometric perspective, which presented London’s streets, buildings, and landmarks in a three-dimensional format. Unlike traditional maps that focused solely on geographic accuracy, these maps illustrated individual structures with intricate detail, allowing viewers to recognise famous sites at a glance.
The maps captured the grandeur of London’s architecture, from St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace. Even lesser-known buildings, churches, and railway stations were meticulously drawn, reflecting the architectural diversity of the city. The streets were clearly labelled, while parks and open spaces, such as Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, were depicted with a sense of greenery and spaciousness that contrasted with the dense urban fabric.
Baker’s maps often covered a wide expanse of central London, extending from Kensington Palace in the west to the docks in the east, and from Regent’s Park in the north to the Grand Surrey Canal in the south. This broad coverage provided a comprehensive view of the city, making the maps not only practical for navigation but also decorative and informative.
Function and Practical Use
Though artistic in nature, Baker’s pictorial maps were highly functional, designed to serve as both a guide for Londoners and a promotional tool for Charles Baker & Co. As a clothing manufacturer and retailer, the firm used these maps as part of its advertising strategy, distributing them to customers and visitors. The maps typically featured prominent commercial districts, major thoroughfares, railway termini, and key landmarks, making them an invaluable resource for those unfamiliar with the city.
Baker’s maps were frequently updated to reflect London’s changing landscape. As new streets, buildings, and railway extensions were completed, revised editions were issued, ensuring that the maps remained relevant and accurate. This adaptability mirrored the dynamic growth of London during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly as public transport networks expanded and new architectural projects reshaped the skyline.
Cultural and Historical Significance
Today, Charles Baker’s pictorial maps are regarded as historical treasures, providing a detailed visual record of London at a time of profound transformation. They capture a city that was at the height of its imperial and commercial power, showcasing Edwardian London’s blend of tradition and modernity.
Beyond their practical value, these maps reflect the aesthetic sensibilities of the era, with their finely detailed engravings, decorative borders, and elegant typography. They stand as an intersection of cartography, illustration, and urban history, offering insight into how Londoners of the time viewed and navigated their city.
For collectors, historians, and map enthusiasts, Charles Baker’s pictorial maps remain highly sought after, serving as both artistic works and vital documents of London’s evolution in the years leading up to the First World War.
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