Friday, December 29, 2006
What was in the Cremorne Stereorama . . .
Here's an engraving of the scene depicted in the Stereorama, at the southern end of Ashburnham Hall. It shows a panorama of the route from Switzerland to Italy, via the St. Gothard Pass.
The Cremorne Orchestra
Here, from the Illustrated London News of June 28, 1851, is the Cremorne Gardens Orchestra.
The article is hard to read but includes these lines:
"This popular place of amusement is just now entertaining a large share of public patronage. The Gardens, apart from the variety of entertainment offered to visitors, form in themselves one of the most attractive resorts in the vicinity of the metropolis; indeed, we do not know any pleasure grounds to which the public have access that can be compared with them. Trees centuries old, broad greensward and spacious flower-gardens, interspersed with . . . Grecian art, contribute to make up a scene of exquisite beauty....The park-like character of the grounds makes them a delightful resort for a summer's afternoon."
Isn't this a scene you'd like to climb inside?
Cremorne engravings
These engravings are part of a collection of pages taken from copies of the Illustrated London News, currently for sale on eBay. They are:
(1) The interior of Ashburnham Hall, showing an exhibition of American plants, 1858
(2) The Maypole, from 1858
(3) The crossing of Madame Genevieve Young "the female Blondini", from Battersea to Cremorne in 1861
(4) The ascent of a Montgolfier hot-air balloon, 1864. This was piloted by a Mr Goddard, who planned to ascend to 5,000 feet but collided with the spire of St. Luke's Church during his ascent and was killed.
