It is early autumn, around 6 p.m. and is going-home time for many after a long and hard day's toil. Still retaining summer's cheer, it is warm enough not to need an overcoat. The golden colour of the lowering sun makes everything look so rich, but is only like this for these few brief moments.

In 1887, Great Britain was the centre of the Worlds' most powerful colonial empire. At its heart was London. This picture shows Fleet Street as the centre of Communications, and St. Paul's Cathedral the focal point of this famous city.

After its predecessor's total destruction in the Great fire of 1666, Sir Christopher Wren designed and built his ultimate masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral. It was completed in 1697, almost three hundred years ago. But even this is comparatively recent in London's long rich pageant. This place has witnessed the contrasting fames of great men like Dick Whittington, four times Lord Mayor of London, to the wiles of Guido (Guy) Fawkes who tried to destroy Parliament in Westminster.

Rising imperiously to 365 ft. above the top of Ludgate Hill, completely redesigned from the Mediaeval St Paul's Church, Wren substituted the old square tower and spire with a magnificent dome. The previous church had been one of the tallest buildings in the world before the demise of its spire. If Wren's Monument to the great fire was placed on top of St.Paul's here in the picture, it would equate approximately to the original height!

This St.Paul's Cathedral is probably the building most qualified to represent the majestic led city with traditional forum and temple of worship, even boasting an amphitheatre. The ancient walls built as an impenetrable fortress, stood high in defiance between this railway bridge and St. Paul's. This major gateway, named after King Lud in 66 AD, according to tradition, was set back from the wooden crossing over the Fleet River. This river now flows beneath Farringdon Road right here at Ludgate Circus.The Fleet tributary marked the boundary and Western entrance of the Roman square mile of the city.

This road led due West from behind our view to Brentford, the earliest crossing point over the mighty River Thames before the Romans built the original London Bridge.The towering portals of St. Paul's are partly masked from all views by the clutter of buildings, huddled together along narrow Ludgate Hill high above this busy crossing. This fabulous approach to St Paul's can best be appreciated from immediately below. This painting looks East down to the lowest part of Fleet Street.

Old Ludgate Circus still acts today as a busy junction where London's never-ceasing life can be observed. Here in 1887, the evening rush hour is beginning to bustle with activity. Imagine the clatter of hooves, and grating iron wheels as the horse-drawn omnibuses trundle across the well-worn streets. The continuous shouting of the newspaper boys, selling the evening paper, is pitched above all the other babble in such a noisy place. This very latest news, telegraphed from all corners of the Empire, emanates from a Fleet Street dominated until recently by the offices of most national and provincial newspapers. For here was the famous birthplace of The Times, Daily Telegraph, Express, Mail and many other titles which are still produced today.

On the pavements, people jostle past the shops and winebars like the famous Elvinos; the haunts of journalists and lawyers; on the left, a flower seller has packed up for the evening and is wheeling his barrow up Farringdon Street. The iron bridge itself carried the London, Chatham and Dover railway. Built in 1865, it was a barrier to the view, until demolished in 1990. The train crossing the bridge, is drawing into Holborn Viaduct Station.

The church of St Martin within Ludgate is prominent on the left, its tower topped by one of Wren's most graceful lead steeples, completed just a few years before St. Paul's in 1684. John O'Connor was born in Ireland and worked in Belfast and Dublin as a painter of theatrical scenery. Having migrated to London in 1848, he became principal scenery painter at the Drury Lane and Haymarket Theatres. From about 1855 he began to paint large topographical views of London which he exhibited at the Royal Academy.