A grand panorama of London and the River Thames. 18 feet in length.

Sold by Azulay, Thames Tunnel., 1849. 1849 Wood engraved panorama 6 inches tall x 18 feet in length on a wooden roller with turned finials as issued. Printed orange wrapper. It shows the north bank of the Thames from the new Houses of Parliament downstream to the Isle of Dogs followed by the south bank upstream to Deptford. The orange wrapper is pasted onto the verso of the start of the roll. The wrapper has been expertly reattached to the roll which shows two old tape marks on its verso. There are a few short edge tears which nowhere affect the image and occasional paste browning where the sheets were joined. A very good example. Ralph Hyde has traced the progression of the various issues of the Grand Panorama in his introductory essay to Harry Margary's facsimile. It originated as a promotional gift for subscribers to Illustrated London News in January 1843. It was reissued and extended several times in a circulation war between this journal and Pictorial Times, culminating in Charles Evans producing this, the longest version in 1849, with a timber wharf inserted to obscure the unbuilt portion of Hungerford Bridge. Hyde states 'Some copies were issued on rollers with either pink or green wrapper titles, these being sold by Mr. Azulay ...'