Tag Archives: London

London in the 18th Century

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

I never tire of reading about Britain’s greatest city. London in the 18th Century by Wallace Crawford Snowden, revised and edited by Marie Clayton, offers a full reproduction of pioneering cartographer John Rocque’s 1746 An Exact Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster which provided … Continue reading →

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Must Be Love

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Heathrow’s beloved stuffed travelers are back. Doris and Edward Bair, the cuddly teddy bear couple who first charmed audiences in the airport’s 2016 holiday ad, have returned in a new campaign titled Must Be Love. The spot leans into the … Continue reading →

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Sound and Vision

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Like all good fans, I’m hyped about the V&A’s 90,000-piece archive of David Bowie stuff — costumes, photos, drawings, lyrics, etc. The David Bowie Centre is a working archive with new reading and study rooms. The archive contains over 80,000 items, … Continue reading →

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Don’t Get Lost

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The Underground Electric Company in London published this series of posters in 1925. The set was designed by Kathleen Stenning. Each bold image promotes catching the Tube to escape the predictably unpredictable English weather.  

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Maps explain so much

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Wen-Jen Deng, “Globalization at table” (2023), embroidery, indigo dyeing, burlap fabric, mixed media.    

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A Tale of Two Cities

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I have always been intrigued by the many cities within cities in Europe that hide traces of their early Roman incarnations. Over the years when I’ve visited London I have sought out those barely hidden remnants of ancient Londinium . … Continue reading →

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Dickensian Celebration

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

To celebrate the exact 155th anniversary of Charles Dickens‘s death and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Charles Dickens Museum in London, the museum will be free of charge to all visitors on June 9 when it will … Continue reading →

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“We are all living in Orwell’s world now”

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

“We are all living in Orwell’s world now” – The New York Times, 29 March The Orwell Festival is returning to Bloomsbury, London, this month with an interesting line-up of events exploring some of the urgent themes and questions arising from … Continue reading →

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Actual Pictures of Atlantis and more

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Depictions of Atlantis in retro science fiction art. OK, so they’re not actual pictures of Atlantis. It is actually April Fools’ Day. “SomaFM is an independent Internet-only streaming multi-channel radio station, supported entirely with donations from listeners. SomaFM originally started broadcasting out of founder … Continue reading →

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London time travel

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Sometimes web surfing serendipity ticks all of the boxes. Regular readers are au fait with my life-long love of cartography, my near obsession with historic travel guides, and my background as an erstwhile history teacher, so you won’t be too … Continue reading →

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