Viewpoints – Placecloud (English)

London, United Kingdom. The graffiti piece on Camden Lock Railway Bridge is considered to be the oldest surviving pieces of street art in Camden, having been created by John Bulley in 1989. Whilst working on a number of new shop signs in the area, Bulley was asked if he could come up with an idea for the Camden Lock Railway Bridge as it was about to be refurbished and repainted by British Rail. Knowing that he wanted the design to be visible from a distance and have some humour in it, Bulley used a bold typeface and photographed two men he was working with to include in his design. The resulting work features the two men who appear to be constantly painting the bridge.  The work has been repainted in recent years to freshen up the paint but using the same iconic design. Having lasted for over thirty years, the piece is considered an icon of London’s oldest pieces of street art.

London, United Kingdom. Although they may be easy to miss, Myddelton Passage in Clerkenwell contains a unique historical record as a series of numbers, letters and dates can be found carved into the brickwork on the left side of the passage, many of which were scratched onto the wall by officers of the London Metropolitan Police. The practice started at some point around the mid to late 19th century and continued until around the time of the First World War, with many of the carvings referring to personal collar numbers and divisions, carved by local Police Constables.

London, United Kingdom. Sutton House is the oldest domestic building in Hackney and one of London’s last remaining Tudor houses, having been built in 1535 by Tudor Statesman and Secretary of State to King Henry VIII, Ralph Sadlier. Even though the house is called ‘Sutton House’, it was never the dwelling of Thomas Sutton who actually lived in the house next door. The house was originally called ‘Bryk Place’ and was rested among long open green spaces and near to the town centre of Hackney. The history of the house is complex as, over time, it has been a Tudor manor house, a Victorian school, a Men’s Institute during the First World War, a Trade Unions Office in the 1960s-70s and a punk squat in the 1980s. The house was restored in the early 1990s by the National Trust and opened to the public in 1994. In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the squatter’s arrival to Sutton House, the National Trust converted the Squatter’s Room to recreate how it would have looked in 1985 with the help of some of the squatters who had lived there. In the room, visitors can see some of the original graffiti art left by the squatters which includes anti-fascist, anti-Thatcher and feminist political slogans.

London, United Kingdom. Described as a "den of beasts", Newgate's women were often victims of circumstance who went on to make new lives after being transported to the colonies.

London, United Kingdom. When Pentonville "Model" Prison opened its doors in 1842 it was a great carceral experiment. One which turned its human guinea pigs insane spending 24 hours a day in total solitary confinement.

London, United Kingdom. The laboratory of 2 Plough Court, hub for Quaker scientists and inventors, and an ancestor to today's Glaxo Smith Kline.

London, United Kingdom. Known for its bad food and its worse atmosphere, the Hotel d'Italie is far from the most famous of Victorian restaurants. But in 1894 it was host to one of the most exciting literary dinners of the century - the launch party for the scandalous and decadent Yellow Book. With everyone from Aubrey Beardsley to W. B. Yeats, it was a night to remember! Listen to find out more ...

London, United Kingdom. The wonderful inventions of John Joseph Merlin, immigrant, instrument maker, and socialite extraordinaire. With a poem about his inventions, to listen to while walking around Hanover Square.

London, United Kingdom. Here, in 1803, was one of the first public demonstrations of high-pressure steam locomotion, by Cornish inventor Richard Trevithick, aka Captain Dick.

London, United Kingdom. In the eighteenth century, Leicester House was transformed to a since-lost museum. Among its curiosities was a stuffed Hippopotamus and objects brought to Britain by the colonist Captain James Cook.