The panorama conveys, with astonishing topographical detail, the drama of life in bustling 19th century London:
- a building on fire
- a funeral procession
- carriages and carts crossing London Bridge
- soldiers on the march
- a man flying a kite
The work invites us to imagine that we are viewing the great metropolis from a balloon above the Thames, midway between Bermondsey and St Katharine's close by the Tower of London. Beyond is London Bridge, and below, the Pool of London, crowded as ever with colliers transporting coal, brigs, sailing barges, the London Assurance Company's Fire Engine, several warships and a ceremonial barge.
As our eyes move across the scene, Southwark and Lambeth will shortly be beneath us on the left, and the City of London on our right, and minutes later the streets and landmarks of Westminster. After that we will pass over the West London suburbs of Battersea and Chelsea, and then over villages such as Fulham, Hammersmith and Kew. Eventually, perhaps, we will touch down at Windsor, which can be spied on the horizon.
Alex Werner
Department of Later London History and Collections, Museum of London
February 2003