CITY OF LONDON. Queen Victoria Street/Farringdon Road plans. BUNNING 1855 map

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'Improvements agreed to by the Court of Common Council and referred to by James B Bunning Esq in his evidence of 7th June 1855'


The Court of Common Council is the City of London's primary decision-making body. The map shows various planned and ongoing changes to the road and building layout of the City of London. Noteably, it shows 1) the proposed construction of Queen Victoria Street which was eventually commissioned in 1861 to streamline the approach to the central banking district. 2) The construction of Farringdon Road (named on the map as Victoria Street), which took almost 20 years between the 1840s and the 1860s, and which is considered one of the greatest urban engineering achievements of the 19th century. Not only was it one of the first engineered multi-lane roads, but it also buried the River Fleet in a system of underground tunnels, solving one of London's most daunting sanitary problems. Its construction also included the building of the world's first stretch of underground railway, part of the Metropolitan Railway running beneath Farringdon Road from King's Cross St. Pancras into the City at Farringdon station. 3) Changes to the layout of Smithfield. The map does not indicate the construction of Holborn Viaduct, built between 1863 and 1869, which was the first flyover in central London.

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Size 49 x 60 cm | 19.5 x 23.5 inches

Date Published: 23 July 1855

Type: Antique map with original colour, prepared for consideration by the British Parliamentary Select Committee on Metropolitan Communication

Author: Other cartographers

James B Bunning Esq. James Bunstone Bunning (6 October 1802 in London – 2 November 1863) was an English architect. He held the post of architect to the City of London from 1843 until his death, and is probably best remembered for his design for the Coal Exchange.

Publication: Metropolitan Communications Hansard Report

"Report from the Select Committee on Metropolitan Communications; together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence and appendix", order by The House of Commons, to be printed, 23 July 1855, Henry Hansard [Metropolitan Communications Hansard Report]

Condition: Good |

Good; suitable for framing. Split along fold in top margin. Small repaired tear and split along fold in left hand margin. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. This is a folding map. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain

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We assess the condition of each item using three categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. We strive to ensure that any significant flaws are clearly shown in the images provided and detailed in the accompanying condition statement.

Good

The item presents well, with no significant flaws, and is in frameable condition. Minor imperfections—such as light spotting or offsetting, small blemishes, tight margins, neatly repaired tears, or discreet/professionally executed restoration—do not materially detract from its overall appearance.

Fair

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Poor

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