In a recent feature for Spitalfields Life, The Gentle Author examines a collection of four thousand lantern slides discovered by Stefan Dickers at the Bishopsgate Institute in Spitalfields. Originally utilized for educational lectures by the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society, the forgotten glass plates offer an unexpected window into the physical layout, trades, and daily existence of Old London.
Recovering Forgotten Archives at the Bishopsgate Institute
The collection languished in dusty boxes after falling into technological obsolescence. When Stefan Dickers became archivist at the Bishopsgate Institute, he brought the forgotten materials back to light. The author notes that sorting through thousands of unseen images presented an initial challenge of scale. Selection began with ancient signs and symbols, documenting an era before street numbering became standard practice and when trades relied on lettered architectural markers rather than numerical addresses.
As the review of the plates continued, the scope expanded far beyond grand state occasions and famous architectural monuments. The anonymous photographers of the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society recorded ordinary citizens moving through their daily routines. The surviving glass plates demonstrate an equal interest in churches and local public houses, capturing a cross-section of London life.
Preserving the Material History of the Glass Slides
Rather than restoring the images through cleaning, removal of surface imperfections, or conversion into uniform monochrome, the publication deliberately retains their physical decay. The project preserves the subtle variations in hue and the distinct colour contrasts that emerge when individual glass plates rest side by side. According to the author, the damage and accumulated patina across the shabby images provide a melancholic poetry that speaks directly to their age and history.
| Collection Focus | Original Context | Observed Locations & Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeological Society Archives | London & Middlesex Archaeological Society lectures | Inns of Court, Eltham Palace, Euston Station |
| Commercial Signage | Pre-street-numbering era | The Anchor at Bankside, Fleet Street, St John’s Gate |
| Urban Life & Infrastructure | Systematic recording of London | Thames lightermen, Smithfield market, St Paul’s dome |
Documenting the Hidden Corners of the Capital
The systematic visual cataloging covers a wide geographical and social span across the city. Featured subjects within the lantern slide archive range from high-profile landmarks to idiosyncratic local scenes:
- The reading room at the British Museum and crocodiles housed at the Natural History Museum
- Working-class labor scenes, including firemen taking a tea break and lightermen operating on the River Thames
- Specific urban locations such as the Old Dick Whittington in Clothfair, Smithfield, and a recorded flood on Water Street near the Tower of London
- Portraits of individual residents, including a Chelsea Pensioner
The author observes that every individual slide carries the potential for untold narratives regarding the capital’s past. Following the initial publication focusing on commercial markers, titled The Signs of Old London, subsequent sets detailing local markets and public houses have been identified among the historic holdings.
