Leonard Bentley
St. Paul's Churchyard
This is a Magic Lantern Slide showing the scene in St. Paul’s Churchyard, the view is looking roughly north from the bottom of the west steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is probably the weekend before Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday 22nd June 1897. Final touches are being made to the top tier of the Grandstand outside the premises of James Spence & Co. Ltd at 76-79 St. Paul’s Churchyard purveyors of Ladies dresses and Draperies all at City wholesale prices, the premises was only one of several “Warehouses” which specialised in Ladies clothing of all sorts in the Churchyard. Opposite the west steps and just out of sight on the left is York House, all five floors of which were occupied by “Goodmans” who were a firm of Dentists. In the months prior to Jubilee day speculators were buying up window and Grandstand space not knowing exactly the route of the Jubilee procession, some got their fingers burnt but those who were lucky in predicting the route could charge between two and six guineas for a grandstand seat and more for a window, many advertised as being in a fireproof building. The motto below the top tier of “Spences” Grandstand states “In every heart one prayer, God Save Victoria”. The thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s lasted twenty minutes, Queen Victoria remained in her carriage at the bottom of the steps before continuing the procession to London Bridge and South London. It was felt that she was too frail to climb the steps and enter the Cathedral for the service.
St. Paul's Churchyard
This is a Magic Lantern Slide showing the scene in St. Paul’s Churchyard, the view is looking roughly north from the bottom of the west steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is probably the weekend before Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday 22nd June 1897. Final touches are being made to the top tier of the Grandstand outside the premises of James Spence & Co. Ltd at 76-79 St. Paul’s Churchyard purveyors of Ladies dresses and Draperies all at City wholesale prices, the premises was only one of several “Warehouses” which specialised in Ladies clothing of all sorts in the Churchyard. Opposite the west steps and just out of sight on the left is York House, all five floors of which were occupied by “Goodmans” who were a firm of Dentists. In the months prior to Jubilee day speculators were buying up window and Grandstand space not knowing exactly the route of the Jubilee procession, some got their fingers burnt but those who were lucky in predicting the route could charge between two and six guineas for a grandstand seat and more for a window, many advertised as being in a fireproof building. The motto below the top tier of “Spences” Grandstand states “In every heart one prayer, God Save Victoria”. The thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s lasted twenty minutes, Queen Victoria remained in her carriage at the bottom of the steps before continuing the procession to London Bridge and South London. It was felt that she was too frail to climb the steps and enter the Cathedral for the service.