Among many other matter of interest in this month’s Heath Hands newsletter was a link to a fascinating City of London project that I really thought more people should know about – their Historic Postcard Project. Their site does not, sadly, explain exactly how the project came about but it does thank historian Michael Hammerson, a Highgate resident and and active member of the Highgate community, for allowing them to use his postcards so I assume that he must have been very much involved. To explain.
The project has created a map on which it has marked the view depicted in each of Michael Hammerson’s historic postcards from the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Clicking on each arrow bring up a box with a small image of an historic postcard and another image of what that site or view looks like today. And you can enlarge both images to get a really good view.
To do this you will need to go to the project site and map – I have merely taken a screenshot of the map to show you what it looks like. But to tempt you here are a couple of examples: one view has scarcely changed, the other is unrecognisable.
So this is the View towards Fairground and Public House in The Vale Of Health. Sheep – Date: 15 August 1908
and here is that same view today. Really no similarity.
Yet here are the Constable Firs – not dated but probably early 1900s –
and here they are today – scarcely changed at all.
What a fun project. Do go and take a look – a very worthwhile way of passing an idle 15 minutes – or maybe a lot longer!
Weeding the pond