Bridge Street Westminster London 1896 Antique Print

A black & white print from a disbound book published in 1896, with another unrelated picture on the reverse side.

Suitable for framing, the average page size including text is approx 12" x 9.25" or 30.5cm x 23.5cm.

Actual picture size is approx 10" x 7.25" or 25cm x 18cm.

This is an antique print not a modern copy and can show normal signs of age or previous use commensurate with the age of the print. Please view any scans as they form part of the description.

All prints will be sent bagged and in a board backed envelope or large letter size box for protection in transit.

While every care is taken to ensure my scans or photos accurately represent the item offered for sale, due to differences in monitors and internet pages my pictures may not be an exact match in brightness or contrast to the actual item.

Text description beneath the picture (subject to any spelling errors due to the OCR program used)

BRIDGE STREET, WESTMINSTER.—Coming. up Parliament Street towards Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, and turning to the left, the stranger comes upon this very interesting and picturesque view of London. This is Bridge Street, which is directly continued by Westminster Bridge—of which more hereafter. The most prominent feature of this view is undoubtedly the well-known Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament. This Clock Tower is situated at the northern end of the building, closely abutting on Westminster Bridge. It is about 40ft. square, surmounted by a richly-decorated belfry and spire, rising to the height of about 320ft. The clock of the present tower has four dials, and was constructed under the direction of Sir G. B. Airy, K.C.B., late Astronomer Royal. Most of the wheels in the mechanism are of cast -iron ;  the hands and their appendages weigh about a ton and a half, and the pendulum six hundredweight. The dials are 224ft. in diameter, or 400 superficial feet each, and are said to have cost more than the clock itself. The first bell, which received the name of "Big Ben," was cast in 1856, and weighed nearly 16 tons, with a clapper of twelve hundredweight. The present "Big Ben" weighs about 14 tons, and was placed in position on the 8th of October, 188. Besides "Big Ben" there are four smaller bells, upon which the quarters are chimed. Standing in Bridge Street, the intelligent observer will realize that he is looking upon one of the most impressive spectacles in the world. The coup deil takes in the magnificent Palace of Westminster, with "Big Ben," Westminster Abbey, the gardens of the Broad Sanctuary, Westminster Bridge, and part of St. Thomas's Hospital.