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This set of ‘old London churches’ postcards was produced by Raphael Tuck & Co in 1904... I thought it would be fun to replicate the images as they are today. First up is St Helen’s Bishopsgate...
... and as it looks now. The church exterior is much the same despite the effects of two IRA bombings...
Next, just yards away, is St Ethenburga, Bishopsgate... notice how an optician’s shop had been built in the tiny space in front of the church...
...and today - almost completely but very sensitively rebuilt after being destroyed in the early 90s IRA bombing...
Next up is All-Hallows-By-The-Tower, as it looked in 1904...
And today, with its markedly different steeple added during the rebuilding after extensive WW2 bomb damage
Down the road is St Olave Hart Street, famous as Samuel Pepys’ parish church - as it looked in 1904...
...and today, looking largely unchanged despite extensive WW2 damage and a photobombing monstrosity behind...
Next, Wren’s St Magnus-the-Martyr, built to overlook the approach to Old London Bridge...
...and today, somewhat marooned by the busy freeway and left behind when London Bridge was rebuilt 50 yards or so further west
And finally, St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield - barely changed from 1904...
... to today
These 1904 paintings were the work of prolific postcard artist Charles Flower (1871-1951) - so he was only 23 when this set was painted. Here’s the bohemian Mr Flower at around that time:
That of course should have said 33 not 23!
