East End Photographs and Drawings

[Robert]

Modern 'architecture' is crap.

[Fisherman]

Weird that there's a carriage in the same place in every picture...

Doesn´t it look as if there are two carriages, one behind the other, in the "new" picture? Were there special spots where carriages waited, much like todays taxi spots, back then...?

[DJA]

The second picture was taken for Jack London's "People of the Abyss" circa 1902.
Crikey,three guys with soft peaked caps. Ripper Central.

[Joshua Rogan]

Doesn´t it look as if there are two carriages, one behind the other, in the "new" picture? Were there special spots where carriages waited, much like todays taxi spots, back then...?

I wondered that too. Dorset Street doesn't seem like the ideal spot to pick up passing trade, at least not the sort that could afford a cab ride, but it is handily placed just off Commercial Street. And, on the 1890 map at least, there are three stables (at 25, 29 & 31), so perhaps that's where they stopped to change horses?

[Rosella]

I don't know about carriages but Hansom cabs certainly had stands. They and big family sized ex private carriages for hire, known as 'growlers', picked up customers from stands usually, not while out and about in the streets. Mostly they would wait in stands near railway stations, theatres, big hotels, but maybe Dorset St was a rare exception.

[DJA]

Quite likely belonged to John McCarthy.
He had five properties in that stretch of Dorset Street.

[Fisherman]

I don't know about carriages but Hansom cabs certainly had stands. They and big family sized ex private carriages for hire, known as 'growlers', picked up customers from stands usually, not while out and about in the streets. Mostly they would wait in stands near railway stations, theatres, big hotels, but maybe Dorset St was a rare exception.

Thanks for that information, Rosella! Maybe that is what they are, Hansom cabs. Looking at this pic: http://www.heritageexplorer.org.uk/f...e/3831_450.jpg
...it seems the explanation for the white spot we see in both pics may be a sort of registration plate.

[Yabs]

Both taken on the road.

Crossinghams on the corner of Paternoster Row is in the front left of both photos.Second building.35 Dorset Street.


The lamp nearest the carriage is actually 3 doors closer to the camera than Millers Court.

thanks that seems right.
As a rough guide I think this would this be the general positioning with the lamps represented as yellow and where the photographer stood in purple

[Rosella]

Thanks for that information, Rosella! Maybe that is what they are, Hansom cabs. Looking at this pic: http://www.heritageexplorer.org.uk/f...e/3831_450.jpg
...it seems the explanation for the white spot we see in both pics may be a sort of registration plate.

All public carriages, including Hansom cabs, had to be licensed at the Public Carriage Office at Scotland Yard from 1869, so they probably are some kind of licence plates.

[Pierre]

Even in the sketch of the millers court entrance there seems to be a parked carriage at approximately the spot where it appears in both photographs

Hi Yebs,

Where did you find the sketch?

Regards, Pierre

[Pierre]

Hi Yebs,

Where did you find the sketch?

Regards, Pierre

Found it!

[caz]

I couldn't agree more Miss M. Everyone took the P out of Prince Charles for his 'monstrous carbuncle' statement, but he's actually quite right.

Maybe people wouldn't take the p quite so much if he admitted you can't get rid of monstrous carbuncles using homeopathy.

High rise living is becoming fashionable again because the cost of space anywhere near the centre of London is so monstrous.

Love,

Caz
X

[Geddy2112]

Whilst on my Ripper Tour last Friday the tour guide showed us a photograph of Dorset Street in Ripper times. She said that night (3rd June) was the first time she had shown the photo on tour. I've not seen it before. Any ideas?

[Rosella]

Do you have a copy of the photo you could scan, or a link, Geddy?

[Geddy2112]

Do you have a copy of the photo you could scan, or a link, Geddy?

Unfortunately not. It got passed around the group and I was going to take a cheeky snap with my phone but it went past me. I was at the front so saw it close enough. I would recognise it if it were posted here...