Regent Street

This is a Magic Lantern slide in a series from the 1860s, this one is showing Regent Street looking north west from the Quadrant. All the buildings in the photograph have gone and were replaced between 1895 and 1927, only the original curve of the street remains. Regent Street was designed by John Nash as a shopping street, a route from Carlton House, the home of the Prince Regent later George IV, to Regents Park and a boundary between Mayfair and Soho. Work began in 1813 and was completed by 1825, originally there was a cast iron colonnade for all weather shopping but in 1848 it was removed, it had become the haunt of prostitutes and thieves. The shop at 84 Regent Street, the premises of “Gants de Paris” was owned by a Mr. D. Jugla who had branches in Paris and Dublin. In late 1862 a classified announcement was made in “Saunders News Letter” that he was opening a branch in Grafton Street, Dublin for the sale of kid gloves, perfumery, fans and Paris fancy articles. The buildings in Regent Street are now taller but are restricted to a height of five storeys, I think I know where I would have preferred to shop.

Best viewed with the zoom feature.

Done