London History

Now this is what the internet is good for. The Illustrated London News magazine which was first printed in 1842 was/is the ‘finest pictorial example of a historic social record of British and world events upto the present day’. The above site has been constructed by an avid collector. We quote: ‘My site will be under construction for many years to come, I expect it will take at least twenty years to complete as I have approximately 3000 original copies from an estimated 8000 printed and I need more. So if you have any please contact me on the form below I have access to every year (since it started in 1842) through local sources, and searches for specific information is possible. when I have the time.’

Of course the most avid fan would have to accept the ILN is not what it was. Founded by the founders of Punch, it was first a weekly, becoming monthly in 1971. From 1989 it came out every two months, then quarterly, now twice a year … do we detect a worrying trend here? A great resource though, an absolute slice of British life down 170 years, and in more depth than the newspapers.