Threadneedle Street

October 18, 2015October 18, 2015 ~ Jordana Jampel

Threadneedle Street is a street in which the characters of Doyle’s short story, “The Man with the Twisted Lip,” part of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, refer to as the City. The story starts off with Watson on a mission to retrieve a friend from the opium den on Swandam Lane, and while at the opium den, runs into Sherlock Holmes, who is there investigating the potential murder of Mr. Neville St. Clair. The prime suspect for St. Clair’s murder is the poor beggar, Hugh Boone, who lives in the apartment above the opium den. Hugh Boone is described as a decrepit beggar who, “though in order to avoid the police regulations he pretends to a small trade in wax vestas. Some little distance down Threadneedle Street, upon the left-hand side, there is, as you may have remarked, a small angle in the wall. Here it is that this creature takes his daily seat…” (7). This description, given by Watson is important in not only figuring out the mystery of the story, but also what Threadneedle Street was like during the early nineteen hundreds.

Threatneedle Street is the street that runs parallel to Cornhill and perpendicular to Bishopgate Street, forming a triangle north of the Thames River. The triangle these three streets form is the center of business in London, as the Royal Exchange and Bank of London are located between the three streets (Victorian Google Maps). The Royal Exchange, started by Mr. Edward Moxhay in 1830, under the name The Hall of Commerce, as an area for merchants to gather and trade without the threat of larger, monopolizing businesses (Thornbury). Due to it being the home of the Royal Exchange, Threadneedle Street is important to understanding the context of Doyle’s story. Threadneedle Street is where Hugh Boone “works,” because even for a beggar there is more opportunity in the heart of the city, as opposed to where he lives, which is in the opportunity-less slums. Doyle’s inclusion of the contrast between a beggar’s opportunity in the City and by the opium dens suggests how it is inevitable, even if one needs to be a beggar, to be a part of modernized London.

Threadneedle Street is also the home of the Bank of London, the Jewish synagogue-turned-school-turned-Church-turned-bank (Thornbury). The Bank of London is not only significant to this location in real life as well as the plotline of “The Man with the Twisted Lip,” due to its obvious financial role, but also due to the vast history the establishment holds. The Bank’s history reinforces how diverse and important of an exchange place Threadneedle must have been especially during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Before the building was an active part of the financial-driven part of London, it went through many different stages of being social and institutional centers, thus proving the importance and versatility of this area; no wonder why Boone decided to beg there. Not only is the Bank of London located on Threadneedle, but also the street is lined with dozens of other smaller banks and exchanges (Victorian Google Maps).

In terms of theme, Threadneedle Street is significant in displaying the layered contrasts between the working class of London, the beggars of London, and the “CEOs” of London, which allows readers to understand and imagine 1850-1900’s London with more clarity. The City, which is how the characters of the story refer to the Threadneedle district, is a melting pot of all the different prototypes that make up the capitalist, modern system in which London has developed due to the introduction of industrialization. Due to the competition introduced by industrialization, small merchants such as Mr. Moxhay found it integral to create a space in which more fair competition can exist. In doing so, the financial world created itself around the merchants’ power to congregate and establish grounds and due to the district’s financial boom, others, such as beggars, also establish themselves and function around the systems established. This multi-layered development of what Threadneedle Street represents is the beginning of London’s full-fledged transformation into the modern City.

Works Cited:

Doyle, Sir Anthony Conan. “Adventure 6: The Man with the Twisted Lip.” The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London: George Newnes Ltd, 1892. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida. 2015. Oct 18 2015.

Thornbury, Walter. “Threadneedle Street.” Old and New London. Vol. 1. London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1878. 531-544. Oct 18 2015.

“London – OS Town Plan 1893-6.” Google Maps Engine. Google-Imagery TerraMetrics, 2015. Oct 18 2015.

Edgware Road in “Scandal in Bohemia”

October 18, 2015 ~ Dea Barbieri

“’Drive like the devil,’ he shouted, ‘first to Gross & Hankey’s in Regent-street, and then to the Church of St. Monica in the Edgware road. Half a guinea if you do it in twenty minutes!’”

The only mention of Edgware road in “Scandal in Bohemia” is spoken by a character we barely meet, Godfrey Norton, the future husband of Irene Adler. Holmes, disguised as a homeless man, goes to Adler’s house to see if he can get a visual on the picture or of Adler herself, and instead finds out that she’s had a gentleman caller each day. Holmes isn’t there long when Norton comes out of the house, seeming flustered, and yells to the cabby to take him to the Church of St. Monica in Edgware road. Soon after, Adler comes out demanding the same location.

Although this road is only mentioned once, it holds a lot of significance, especially in relation to Irene Adler as a character. Irene is a well-to-do woman, which is alluded to when Holmes gets her address in St. John’s Wood, a ritzy area of London. When I looked up Edgware road on the Charles Booth Archive, I saw that it had all red, even some yellow, surrounding it, pointing to a well-to-do middle to upper class area.

To get married in such a nice area follows the thread that Irene is a wealthy woman and is going to be married in a wealthy part of London. I had Regent Street for the last assignment so when it was mentioned in relation to Edgware road I knew that it would be along the same vain. I looked up Gross & Hankey’s, and found that it was most likely a fictional jeweler, which also reflects Godfrey Norton’s level of wealth.

Looking through the various online sources, there wasn’t a lot of information available on Edgware road individually, but I did find that it wasn’t far from the Marble Arch. The Historical Eye puts it in relation to Hyde Park Place: “Hyde Park Place is the name given to a row of mansions overlooking the park and built on the right and left of the entrance to Great Cumberland Place. On turning round the corner into the Edgware Road, almost opposite the Marble Arch…” The Marble Arch was originally used as the entrance for the royal family into Buckingham Palace. Over time, this has changed obviously, but the arch definitely has royal origins. It’s a small detail, but I found the connotation with royalty in the area important in relation to Irene Adler and the kind of woman she is in the story.

I think it’s important that Edgware road is a real place and not fictional. Irene Adler is a larger than life woman so she’s put in real places where real wealth resided in London at this time. Arthur Conan Doyle puts Irene in a real place that readers can recognize and contextualize its meaning in relation to her as a fictional character about to be married in a well-to-do neighborhood.

“Adventure I. – A Scandal in Bohemia.” The Strand Magazine: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Vol. 1. Stanford: Stanford U, 2006. N. pag. The Strand Magazine. Stanford University, 27 Jan. 2006. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

“Charles Booth Online Archive.” Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

“Marble Arch.” The Victorian Web. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

“Marble Arch and Kensington Gardens.” The Historical Eye. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

Baker Street in “Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia”

October 17, 2015 ~ Carly Silk ~ 1 Comment

For this assignment, I decided to focus on what could possibly be the most important setting in a Sherlock Holmes tale, the West End location of Sherlock Holmes’ home, Baker Street.

Frankly, I’ve never been much of a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle or his works, and all I know about Sherlock Holmes and John Watson is that they are detectives, and their headquarters were located at 221B Baker Street in London. It is for this reason I decided to dig a little deeper into its history, and find out exactly what kind of area it was to live in.

First off, it is seen almost immediately in “A Scandal in Bohemia,” as the tale opens with John Watson paying Holmes a visit at his residence on Baker Street, before they are interrupted by a visitor, who turns out to be the King of Bohemia in disguise, looking for the detective’s assistance in foiling a plot by his vengeful mistress, Irene Adler. Judging by the fact that a king could walk down Baker Street (albeit wearing a mask) at night without being accosted by burglars or the like, this gave me the assumption that Baker Street was not a particularly risky place to live.

As you can see from the above map from the 1890s, Baker Street was surrounded by many hotels on nearby streets, giving the impression that it was located in an upper class area that was prime for travelers to stay in. There was also a tube station on the street in later years, and was located close to a fire station, which would have made the residents of Baker Street a priority for the fire brigade if there were ever an emergency, judging by their close proximity. There was also the large Baker Street Bazaar, a shopping area where people came to buy food, clothing, and see exhibits, such as an early version of the famed Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. This backs my belief that Baker Street was in a well-to-do area of London, populated by the middle class and the wealthy and with little crime.

Above: The Baker Street Bazaar, as seen in 1845 for a cattle show.

Truth be told, while searching the Old Bailey Proceedings for news of crimes committed on Baker Street, I could find only victims and other witnesses that gave their addresses as Baker Street, and no crimes that were actually committed there. I thought I may have found an animal theft occurring on Baker Street in an account describing the arrest of one George Welldon, but it turns out that the defendant lived on Lloyd Baker Street in Clerkenwell.

Overall, Baker Street seemed to be located in a safe, upper class community, and today is home to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located, not surprisingly, at 221B. The legacy of Sherlock Holmes and his living place on Baker Street continues to shape the street’s fame and economic value even today.

“London – OS Town Plan 1893-6: Baker Street, London.” Google Maps Engine: Map View. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <https://mapsengine.google.com/07550989709782409818-08328807677136535917-4/mapview/?authuser=0>.

Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 7.2, 17 October 2015), October 1768, trial of George Welldon (t17681019-34).

The Sherlock Holmes Museum. Digital image. The Fussiest Eater. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <http://www.thefussiesteater.com/2012/06/the-sherlock-holmes-museum-221b-baker-st-london/>.

Jackson, Lee. Baker Street Bazaar. Digital image. Victorian London. Nassau Steam Press, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. <http://www.victorianlondon.org/shops/bazaars.htm>.

Waterloo Bridge Road

Aside ~ October 17, 2015October 19, 2015 ~ Ashley Schluter

Waterloo Bridge Rd. was the combined Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Street. The road mentioned in “Man With A Twisted Lip” which turns into Wellington Street is Waterloo Bridge Road. “The formation of Waterloo Bridge—which was completed and opened on the 18th of June, 1817—as may be expected, soon made a great alteration in the appearance of Southern London, especially in those parts lying between Blackfriars and Westminster Bridge Roads” (Lambeth). Its name commemorates the victory of the British, the Dutch and the Prussians at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The approaching road and other various areas of London also share the name Waterloo in respect and honor.
The area was mostly middle class, at least on the main street. Waterloo Bridge Road was part of the parishes of St Andrew, St John, St Thomas [Lambeth]and Christ Church (Charles Booth). Most of the crime committed in the area was theft and a handful of highway robberies that may have ended on the bridge itself. Overall the information on Waterloo Bridge Road is scarce. Most of it is about the surrounding area, the bridge and its southern approach have little influence to the surrounding areas.
Even in “Man With A Twisted Lip” the Road is but a way across the river. “Passing down the Waterloo Bridge Road we crossed over the river, and dashing up Wellington Street…”(Doyle). The river divides London, it also helps divide class. This can be seen in the story as crossing the water is linked to crossing classes and lifestyles. This crossing of the bridge represents the crossing of themes in the story.
Waterloo Bridge Road is the southern approach to Waterloo Bridge. The Bridge approach was built on a piece of ground which for many years was part of Cuper’s (or Cupid’s) Garden. The road
“One of the earliest buildings in Waterloo Road was the Royal Universal Infirmary for Children. This institution was the successor of the Universal Dispensary for Sick and Indigent Children founded in 1816… The infirmary was built on land which was part of the triangular slip of ground bought by the Waterloo Bridge Company from Jesus College, Oxford, and assigned to the Duchy of Cornwall in exchange for ground given up to form the bridge approaches.”(Waterloo Road).

Works Cited
“Charles Booth Online Archive.” Search Survey Notebook Pages (Charles Booth Online Archive). Web. 16 Oct. 2015.

Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Man with the Twisted Lip. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

“Lambeth: Waterloo Road.” Lambeth: Waterloo Road. Web. 16 Oct. 2015.

‘Waterloo Road.’ Survey of London: Volume 23, Lambeth: South Bank and Vauxhall. Ed. Howard Roberts and Walter H Godfrey. London: London County Council, 1951. 25-31. British History Online. Web. 14 October 2015. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol23/pp25-31.

St. John’s Wood Road

October 17, 2015 ~ Shianne ~ 2 Comments

The location I received was St. John’s Wood Road located just west of Regent’s Park. According to the Charles Booth Online Archive, St. John’s Wood Road was an area inhabited by the rich. The road is lined with some red, but mostly yellow rectangles, signifying that the Upper middle and Upper class resided there. Upon searching the proceedings of Old Bailey, I found that crime was at a very minimum: only two crimes appeared in the search, both of which were theft. The Victorian map leaves much to the imagination as to what buildings existed here, but the two buildings that are labeled are homes for children: Hospital and Home for Incurable Children, and Home for Female Orphans. However, after researching further I found that St. John’s Wood was home to many artists that formed the St. John’s Wood Clique, as well as the St. John’s Wood Arts Club in 1895. The St. John’s Wood Clique was an “informal gathering of artists with a shared aesthetic outlook” (The Saint John’s Wood Art Club). In contrast, St. John’s Wood Arts Club was a formal meet-up of artists living around the St. John’s Wood area.

In addition to art clubs, there was also an art school, “St John’s Wood Art School,” founded in 1878. The school was meant for those who wanted to gain skills in “life drawing and painting; head and costume; drawing and painting from still life, antique, drapery, etc.; Anatomy; Observation and memory class; Composition class; Lettering, drawing for reproduction, poster painting, design, perspective and architectural drawing; and Mural decoration” (Scrapbook). The attendance of St. John’s Wood Art School was a prerequisite in order to attend the Royal Academy schools. Both female and male students were accepted (St. John’s Wood School of Art).

Female students at the St. John’s Wood Art School

Relating Information to the Text

After learning about St. John’s Wood Art School, I made the connection between the classes offered at the school and Ilene Adler’s artistic talents: acting and disguise. On page 14, Ilene Adler writes in her note, “But, you know, I have been trained as an actress myself. Male costume is nothing new to me.” When Holmes is walking home, Ilene follows him in the disguise of a man in order to make sure that the man disguised as an old clergyman is actually Holmes. When she is made certain of this, she leaves her home in St. John’s Wood and flees into Europe with her new husband. Because women were allowed to attend the art school, and because Ilene has studied acting and disguise, it would be reasonable to suppose that Ilene attended St. John’s Wood Art School. Her location in St. John’s Wood would tell the Victorian reader that Ilene was wealthy and artistically trained—making her capabilities to disguise herself plausible.

I also found it interesting that in the story, the area which she lives is fictional Serpentine Avenue. Perhaps this name is given because Ilene is much like a snake: she has potential to be dangerous and she can sneak around without being noticed. Her danger comes from her ability to outwit men who are considered to be smarter than women; she outwits both Sherlock and the King of Bohemia. She also is still in possession of the photo, which she can use to “strike” at the king if he ever tries to cause her harm. Second, she’s sneaky because, as mentioned previously, she is a master of disguise and can move around London without being noticed as herself.

Works Cited

“Scrapbook of St. John’s Wood Art Schools.” Yale Center for British Art. The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Ar, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

“The St John’s Wood Arts Club, 1895.” National Portrait Gallery. National Portrait Gallery, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

“St. John’s Wood School of Art.” Artist Biographies. Artist Biographies Ltd., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

Irene Adler on Edgware Road

October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 ~ Daniela ~ 1 Comment

Daniela Velez

Prof. Swafford

ENG 493-02

19 October 2015

Mr. & Mrs. Norton on Edgware Road

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “A Scandal in Bohemia,” detective Sherlock Holmes is bested by none other than Irene Adler, also referred to as ‘The Woman.’ Towards the end of the tale, Mr. Holmes finds himself swept up in Irene’s shotgun wedding to Mr. Godfrey Norton at the Church of Saint Monica, and becomes a key witness to the legality of their vows due to his ‘lucky appearance’ (9).

Edgware road was difficult to locate on Victorian Google Maps all that my search result turned up was an image of Edgware Road Station, which is obviously on Edgware Road though the actual name of the street itself does not appear. However, the road does appear on the Charles Booth Online Archive. A majority of the area appears to be middle class/ well to do. This adds to the overall theme of the story, which alludes to class distinctions in not only Victorian London, but the modern world at the time – hence, the prestigious King of Bohemia’s affair with Alder that must be kept hidden even though it occurred years earlier.

A quick but narrowed search (the years 1881-1901 because that is when Sherlock & Dr. Watson’s adventures on Baker Street took place according to the stories)through the Proceedings of the Old Bailey produced a vibrant array of offenses from coining offenses to murder associated with Edgware Road. The Charles Booth Archive image did show some areas of blue which represents (Lower Class/Poor residents) and little areas of yellow (Upper Class). I believe that the variety of crimes and the sheer number of them could indicate a clash of classes due to wealth inequality, but that is only speculation.

Regents Throughout ‘In Dull Brown’

September 11, 2015 ~ Brenn Hemmings ~ 1 Comment

Throughout the story’s beginning, Jean discusses how she is a better teacher of subjects that she knows less about. Paradoxically, I think that this applies to understanding Regent Street.

Taken on face value, Regent Street appeals to the senses because it is fashionable and open. Commissioned by George IV, it offers a gorgeous view of the Quadrant and great shopping options. Little crime, other than some robberies, occurred on or around Regent Street. Regent Street is also heavily connected to Picadilly Circus.

Jean’s budding relationship with Tom parallels Victorian London’s relationship with luxurious areas; though obviously profitable, places like Regent Street illuminated the various incidences of socio-economic differences within its borders.

Though someone of well means, Jean works outside of the home and embodies the “conventional” New Woman down to her brown frock. Tom, at first intrigued by Jean and what she represents, seems to be of the same socio-economic status. While on the omnibus, they talk politics, life, and flirt.

After meeting her sister, a traditional woman, Tom rethinks his interest in Jean and ultimately decides that while new is intriguing, traditional will always be the safest and wisest option.

While researching Regent Street, I found that it almost became synonymous with Regent’s Park and later Regent Terrace.

Image result for regent street london

To this day, these locations remain opulent and showcase “the finer things in life.”

London Bridge in “A Lost Masterpiece”

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 ~ Ryan ~ 1 Comment

Bridges in Victorian London were not just a method of travel and a way to improve commerce; they were a path that led to assimilation between the north and south and one of the biggest factors in the expansion of the city. London Bridge itself happens to be almost directly in the center of London and therefore, both auto traffic as well as foot traffic are extremely plentiful. In fact, according to The Victorian Web’s London Bridge section, it states that approximately 22,000 vehicles and 110,000 pedestrians cross the bridge every day.

With the amount of traffic the bridge sees every day and the fact that it is located in the heart of the city, it is not difficult to surmise that there is quite a bit of criminal activity to be found on or near this landmark. When a search is done on the Old Bailey crime website, 102 matches pop up as opposed to the ten that can be found when searching a less treacherous location such as Green Park. Of the 102 matches, 99 of them are theft—most of which are small pickpocketing crimes but still plenty more are much worse. One account told the story of Sarah Arnold and Margret Atkins who were both attacked and carried from the bridge to a nearby tavern, where the attackers told the tavern owner that they were taking the women to a Justice of the Peace for treason. The article also states: “[Mrs. Arnold] declares, that they used her in a very uncivil manner, and gave abundance of ill names.” Now I may be imposing my own modern perspective, but the implications of that sentence seem to point to more than just theft. I personally believe that a lot more than just 102 accounts of criminal activity occurred on this bridge, just not all of it might be written down.

A huge factor in the fact that there is a lot more crime that happens on London Bridge as opposed to other places is the fact that there is a diverse economic standing among the residents that live nearby. As you can see on the map below, Borough High Street—the road just before you would reach London Bridge—is marked red for middle class, well-to-do, and is second on the Booth Poverty website in terms of wealth. Surrounding these wealthy citizens however (shown in light blue, blue, and black respectively), are the poor, the very poor, and the lowest class. The mix of these socioeconomic backgrounds on one main bridge might be the reason so much crime takes place as well as the fact that it is mostly theft.

Economic map of street leading to London Bridge

In “A Lost Masterpiece” the narrator is the picture of conversion from country life to city life—full of optimism for a bright and better future. On their five mile steamboat ride up the Thames from Chelsea to London Bridge, they comment on their surroundings: “The river was wrapped in a delicate grey haze with a golden sub-tone, like a beautiful bright thought struggling for utterance through a mist of obscure words.” Even enveloped by greyness, the narrator still sees a golden hope shining through the fog. Throughout the text, they use words such as “drowned creatures,” “monster chimneys,” “murky depths,” and “hideous green.” Yet in the end they still say, “But what cared I? Was I not happy, absurdly happy?” I think there is a deep naivety in all immigration—be it to a foreign country or just to a city. But just as people from all over the world believe that immigrating to America will open up a new and better life for themselves, moving from country to city is just as much a fantasy. Their steamboat ride symbolizes this move perfectly: riding on a giant piece of industry into the very heart of industry. And perhaps the end of the story is a falling from on high—that in the same way that their bright optimism and inspiration is dashed by a rushing city girl, the hope of a brave new world, a beautiful world, is taken into perspective and mellowed.

Regent Street: “New London”

September 10, 2015 ~ Dea Barbieri ~ 1 Comment

“Then he turned up into Regent Street and made a cross cut through the slums that lie on the borders of Soho” (Sharp, 186).

So reads the only mention of Regent Street in the short story “In Dull Brown” by Evelyn Sharp. After finishing the story and realizing that the street was only mentioned once, I didn’t have very high expectations about where it might be located in London. But after consulting the Historical Eye site as well as the British History Online I learned that it was in fact quite a nice area to be in. It was considered “as one of the great show-places of fashionable London” (Historical Eye). After reading more about it and looking at it on a map, it became very clear to me why it was only mentioned once in the text. Regent Street is a long street that runs down in between two different parts of London. It’s a connecting street, and at the time it was a fairly new concept as a part of the city. Designed by John Nash in the early 1800s, Regent Street was one of the first attempts to make London more continuous and have more of a focus on long-lasting architectural style. As Edward Walford wrote in 1878 in Old and New London, “It belongs to “new,” and not to “old” London” (British History). In the story, Tom is described as turning “up into Regent Street” and crossing “through the slums that lie on the borders of SoHo” (Sharp.) He passes through Regent Street for a moment, only needing it to connect to Oxford Street to run into Jean. It is a pleasant detour, a street at the time that people had grown accustomed to enough that they didn’t necessarily need to stop and admire it, or mention it more than once in a short story. Especially if the characters in question are rather well off and used to walking through pleasant streets with people similar to them, it would not have been anything novel.

With this idea of “new” in mind, another connection I made is the newness to Regent Street and how Jean was a “new woman” at the time. Jean is an unconventional female protagonist for the time; she’s intelligent, she works for a living, and she is unmarried. She goes against everything that society deemed desirable during this era. The way she talks to Tom is very blunt and unapologetic which was also a very new idea, the idea that women could be equal to men in intellect. The frank conversations Tom has with Jean make him almost uncomfortable and it is noted in the text that Tom prefers “domesticated women,” which Jean is certainly not. He is intrigued by Jean but not necessarily capable of loving her and the end of the story shows him fawning over Jean’s sister Nancy, who much better fits the idea of womanhood at the time.

Regent Street is a small part of “In Dull Brown” but it does connect to the story in a very noted way. It shows the transition London was in the middle of making from old to new, from medieval to modern. Jean also represents this transition from old to new but Sharp is careful to point out that despite the city’s improvements, women were still largely stuck with medieval concepts of what it meant to be a woman. Today, Regent Street is a kind of equivalent to Time’s Square in New York and is “home to branches of the most famous and most expensive shops in the world” (Historical Eye). For what is now an attraction for mostly tourists, it’s interesting to think about its place in Victorian London and what it represented for its citizens.

Edward Walford, ‘Regent Street and Piccadilly’, in Old and New London: Volume 4 (London, 1878), pp. 246-262 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol4/pp246-262 [accessed 10 September 2015].

Sharp, Evelyn. “In Dull Brown.” The Yellow Book 8 (January 1896): 181-200. The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2012. Web.

“The Historical Eye.” Web. September 10, 2015.

Chelsea- “A Lost Masterpiece”

September 10, 2015 ~ lipshies1 ~ 1 Comment

Chelsea:

In “A Lost Masterpiece” Chelsea is where the speaker boards a river steamer heading towards London Bridge. Surrounding the Chelsea Bridge Street according to the Charles Booth Online Archive are “middle class, well-to-do” neighborhoods. The speaker also describes his sentiments whilst he is riding the steamer. The steamer ride starts with the speaker in the countryside and then eventually he sees the brick buildings and warehouses covered in a grey soot overtone. The Thames wanders through “fertile meads and beside pleasant banks” as well as “homely villages, retired cottages, palatial dwellings, and populous cities and towns; boats and barges, and the sea-craft of a hundred nations” (Hall), therefore the speaker begins his journey to London in idilic familiar scenery and ends up passing through the area surrounding the river heavily influenced by the industrial revolution.

Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 2.45.02 AM Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 9.26.40 AM
The importance of Chelsea to the story’s plot and theme is very evident when the character transitions. He boards a river steamer in Chelsea in order to take London Bridge.
The water in the area was polluted and muddy. The speaker says he expects some creature to be washed up on the thick banks of the Thames River. The buildings lining the water are warehouses and made of brick. The speakers describes them to create a chilling imagery of “monster chimneys” as a backdrop for the river ride. The memory of being in the countryside in Chelsea is not forgotten when he reaches London; this sets up the contrast between the two places. Thus, traveling from one place to another could mean leaving one completely different environment to experience a new one—country to city within miles. In addition, The young ladies to the right of the speaker on the steamer shamelessly pick on the speaker and giggle at his appearance and therefore represent the snobbish upperclass society of the area. Clearly there is a stark separation of welfare.
The theme of “A Lost Masterpiece” is that the pace of the city seems superficial and over the top to those from the outside. The woman rushing truly bothers the speaker. His point of contention with her is her pace. For what reason in the world could she be rushing along so feverishly? The speakers has plans to write about his relaxed mentality and the flowers and music in his head so the city dwellers can read it and relax their minds. Nonetheless, the little speeding woman is compared to a wandering Jew or a ghost and it ruins his train of thought and sends his mind into a dark place void of poetry and flowers.

Works Cited:

Egerton, George [Mary Chavelita Dunne Bright]. “A Lost Masterpiece.” The Yellow Book 1 (Apr. 1894): 189-96. The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2010. Web. [09 Sept. 2015].

Hall, Samuel Carter, and A. M. Hall. The Book of the Thames. London, Vertue, 1859.

“The Charles Booth Online Archive.” Results. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015

Virtually London: Literature and Laptops

SUNY New Paltz, ENG 493

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