Title

London Main Drainage: the Concrete Mills at Plaistow, 1861. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

London Main Drainage: the Concrete Mills at Plaistow, 1861. During the early 19th century the River Thames was an open sewer, with disastrous consequences for public health in London, including cholera epidemics. Proposals to modernise the sewerage system had been made in the early 1700s but the costs of such a project deterred progress. However, after the Great Stink of 1858, Parliament realised the urgency of the problem and resolved to create a modern sewerage system. View of concrete manufactory making Portland cement for tunnel-building. Railway wagons carry the cement to the various construction sites. From "Illustrated London News", 1861.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM23B24_362

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

12,3Mb (1,2Mb) / 8,2in x 5,8in / 2454 x 1753 (300dpi)

Keywords

transport transportation building London England people technology man men railways arts engineering steam art guy British railway color sewer factory machine machinery innovation concrete railway line Victorian century railway tracks Britain steam power train track distribution newspapers railway track press print concept civil engineering drainage cement United Kingdom B&W engraved engraving sewers sanitation Colour 19th century distributing black & white black and white B W white and black nineteenth century The Print Collector drive belt Illustrated London News Newham railway wagon TGN ILN newspaper Unknown Joseph William Bazalgette Bazalgette Joseph Bazalgette Sir Joseph Bazalgette Plaistow Portland Cement Works sewage system Sir Joseph William 19th-century