Stories of the Streets of London by H. Barton Baker

Stories of the Streets of London by H. Barton Baker is a fascinating late-Victorian exploration of the history, personalities and changing character of London’s most famous streets and districts. Rather than presenting London simply as a collection of buildings and thoroughfares, Baker delves into the people, events, traditions and stories that gave individual areas of the city their distinctive identities.

Stories of the Streets of London takes the reader through historic London, recalling earlier generations of residents, notable personalities, lost buildings, social customs and events associated with streets and neighbourhoods that became internationally recognised. Areas including Fleet Street, Soho and Mayfair are examined through a mixture of history, anecdote and antiquarian observation, making the work particularly appealing to collectors interested in London history, British social history and urban development.

An important feature of Stories of the Streets of London is its collection of portraits and numerous illustrations by Charles G. Harper, the prolific British illustrator and author particularly associated with historical and topographical works. His illustrations add considerable period atmosphere and complement Baker’s accounts of London’s architecture and street life.

This is the Second Edition of 1899, retaining its particularly attractive salmon-orange pictorial cloth binding with a street scene printed to the front board. More than a century after publication, Stories of the Streets of London remains an evocative piece of Victorian Londoniana and an appealing collectable for readers interested in the history and changing landscape of Britain’s capital.

Condition – Good

Original pictorial cloth with rubbing, staining and wear, particularly at the corners and spine ends. Page edges heavily age-toned and foxed, with foxing throughout. Both inner hinges are damaged and weakened, although the book remains together.