Tag: Archive
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Pantos, Pageants and Puddings: Islington’s Christmas Past
We’re all witnessing a different kind of Christmas in 2020. One without the usual carol services, Christmas fairs, pantomime outings and no spending ‘real time’ with family and friends. As a diversion, we thought we’d take a brief look at some of the Christmas ‘goings-on’ of Islington past. Read on…
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Meet Me At The Aggie
Meet Me At The Aggie showcases Islington Local History Centre’s collection of Royal Agricultural Hall posters, promoting the amusement fairs held in the 1870s and 1880s. The once World-famous hall is now the Business Design Centre on Upper Street, Islington. These fairs were aimed at a growing middle class who…
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More Changes Over Time: Regent’s Canal
Much of the Regent’s Canal has changed over 200 years. The following images compare scenes from around the canal at different points in history. Wenlock Basin was at the cutting edge of telecommunications in 1846, when the Gutta Percha (a tree gum like rubber) Company made thetwenty nine miles of…
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Engineering Islington Tunnel
The Islington Tunnel, arguably the main architectural and engineering feature of the Regent’s Canal, was designed and engineered by James Morgan. Morgan was born on 9 March 1774 in Wales and was employed in his early 20’s as an assistant to the famous Regency architect John Nash. In 1806 Nash…
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London’s Hidden Waterway: Regent’s Canal
Once described as ‘London’s Hidden Waterway’, 2020 celebrates the bicentenary of the Regent’s Canal’s full opening on 1 August 1820. The canal played an integral role in Islington, and north London, serving the local industries and businesses for nearly 150 years. Although passing through a well-populated area, much of the…
Friends of Islington Museum 