The unencumbered view of St Paul's without the Millennium Bridge in the way was snapped in the latter part of Queen Victoria's reign by photographer George Washington Wilson.
A collection of over 8,000 black and white photographs of Victorian Britain, capturing scenes from the mid-19th century to the 1950s, has been acquired by Historic England. The archive, assembled by photography expert Janette Rosing over 50 years, features iconic locations such as St Paul's Cathedral, Barnard Castle, and cobbled streets of Bethnal Green. The images, taken by pioneering photographers, document Britain's transformation through industrialization and urbanization. The collection, acquired through the Government's Acquisition in Lieu scheme, is considered of significant national importance and will undergo conservation, cataloging, and digitization to preserve England's cultural heritage.
