New Bond Street

While researching New Bond Street, I noticed on the map the street is divided into two sections; New Bond Street and Old Bond Street. It is a wealthy section of London with many top of the line stores. Charles Booth Online Archive the crimes in the area were minimal with pick pocketing, theft and the like.  From looking at the Booth Poverty Maps I can tell there are mainly wealthy to middle class living in the area which is a good indication why there are such few crimes.

In the novel Portrait of Dorian Gray, Bond Street is where Dorian Gray is looking for a hansom to give him a ride. Before he gets to Bond Street he is out of sorts when Lord Henry questions him about his whereabouts the previous night, He gets nervous because he killed Basil the night before. His guilty conscience gets the best of him and makes him not know what direction to turn. He goes home and burns Basil’s belongings that he hid in the wall and soon goes off to New Bond Street. Once he gets there he calls for a “hansom with a good horse” (The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891). He asked him for a ride, but when he whispers he address to him he says it is too far to travel. Dorian offers him monetary compensation and he agrees to take him there. He told the driver there will be more if he hurries to which he tells him they will be there in an hour.

In Victorian London New Bond Street was known for art, as it had many high end art dealers and is located so close to the Royal Academy of Arts. This location connects to the art theme in the story. Dorian was a symbol of beauty, and beauty was a symbol of art. It also is significant that art was a reflection of moral compass. Dorian’s portrait that Basil painted of him ended up being his demise because his immoral acts were reflected in the painting. Basil wanted to display his portrait at the art gallery, perhaps it was the one on this road. Dorian goes between good and evil and high and low class during the novel. On New Bond Street he is currently in the high class area, but is headed to the low class to the opium den to calm his nerves. This is almost as a turning point in Grays character. He goes to a super ritzy neighborhood to get a cab to the poor area. (Revolutionary road – FT.com)

New Bond Street was an elegant premier shopping area of London. It had all of the high end stores and mostly the rich were found there. After all these years it has not lost its glam and still remains the shopping choice for many. The pictures below are Victorian London New Bond Street and modern day New Bond Street on the right. Both look beautiful and it is clear to see why it is known for the best shopping.

References:

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Picture_of_Dorian_Gray_(1891)

Revolutionary road – FT.com. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b01d5034-675a-11e5-97d0-1456a776a4f5.html

“Charles Booth Online Archive.” Charles Booth Online Archive. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

“Booth Poverty Map & Modern Map (Charles Booth Online Archive).” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.