London and its Environs in the Nineteenth Century: Illustrated by a Series of Views from Original Drawings (Cambridge Library Collection - Art and Architecture)

This 1829 work, and its 1827 companion piece Metropolitan Improvements, also reissued in this series, set the pattern for depictions of the English capital for the next twenty years. A celebration of modern architecture, the work aims to give a compelling and uplifting portrait of London at the time, promoting the major improvements and quietly bypassing the less attractive aspects of the city. Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1793–1864), known for his architectural images, was commissioned by the original publishers to create two series of drawings, the second of which forms the basis of this book. Notable for their close attention to detail, superbly captured in two hundred steel engravings, Shepherd's images present a succession of street vistas concentrating on the area from Whitehall, through Holborn and Cheapside to Ludgate Hill. The text, a mix of historical and topographical detail, was provided by the architect and writer James Elmes (1782–1862).