Ormes of London - 1870
This print appeared in The Illustrated London News on January 1, 1870. It is a view of the buildings in Wych Street, Westminster, including the Rising Sun Tavern.
The shop front in the bottom right-hand corner says: M.A. Ormes, Dealer in Coals.
The photography below also shows the same street, but it was taken a little later.
Samuel Read
Samuel Read (1815-1883), a noted British artist, produced an engraving titled Old London, Wych-Street (1870), which depicts the historical architecture of the now-demolished Wych Street. While he was a prolific watercolour artist who exhibited at the Royal Watercolour Society, the specific and widely known Wych Street work appears to be an engraving, often available as prints on various media including watercolour paper.
Medium: The original work is an engraving, though prints are available on watercolour board and other materials.
Subject: It captures the visually distinctive but aging Elizabethan houses on Wych Street, an area near Drury Lane that largely escaped the Great Fire of London. The artwork serves as a valuable historical record of the street before its demolition.
Historical Context: Wych Street was part of a "rookery" (slum area) that was demolished around 1901 as part of a major redevelopment project by the London County Council, which created the modern Aldwych and Kingsway thoroughfares.
Samuel Read was known for his architectural drawings and extensive travels throughout Europe, working for publications like the Illustrated London News. He exhibited frequently at the Royal Watercolour Society, and many of his other works are watercolours, such as views of Cawdor Castle and various European cities.