Alder Copse -
Email: oldfoldingmaps@gmail.com
Tel: +44 (0) 7913 383346
Specialist publishers of historical maps & charts
Bespokeframers
A PLAN of LONDON & it’s ENVIRONS c.1840
CREIGHTON, R
Extent: Islington -
Drawn by R. Creighton and engraved by J & C Walker for ‘Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary.
Map & black frame
Hand finished black waxed frame with gold slip. Image above. See framing.
Map & veneered frame
Birds Eye maple veneer hand laid in the traditional way. If you would like a different veneer such as Walnut or Indian Laurel please contact us to order. See framing.
London Bridge
Londoners had grown used to the new London Bridge by 1840. Opened in 1831 it had replaced the crumbling bridge of the nursery rhyme “London Bridge is falling down”. Old London Bridge was finished in 1209 and consisted of 19 arches and was 915 feet in length. For centuries it had houses and shops on each side which restricted the carriage way to around 20 feet causing considerable congestion. An act of Parliament of 1756 to remove the houses allowed the carriageway to be widened to 31 feet.
The foundations were not of stone but huge baulks of elm. Over the years repairs to the piers had restricted the flow to such an extent that at high tide the river level
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varied by quite a few feet either side of the bridge. At this period it was easier to travel along the Thames by boat rather than by carriage. Alighting on one side of the bridge to rejoin another boat on the other side at high tide was the safest thing to do. However that did not prevent some trying to “shoot” the bridge without alighting and as a consequence many drowned (Old London bridge image above).
All maps are laid on to cloth and, along with the slip cases, are individually made by hand in our Buckinghamshire workshop. Small and medium maps available unframed. See slip cases & marble paper.
Standard maps are framed in mouldings which we produce ourselves in hand painted and waxed black. Additionally, the large maps can also be framed in woods such as Birds Eye Maple and Walnut which we veneer in the traditional way. See Framing.