Charing Cross — Baked Potatoes, All Hot!
John Leighton
1847
The Cries of London & Public Edifices, Plate 13
The printed titles on the facing page differ slightly from those that appear on the plate.
See below for Leighton's text.
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Image capture and formatting by George P. Landow.
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Baked Potatoes, All Hot!
How very cold it is! the Potato-merchant jumps about to warm his feet. It is fine time for the boys; they are pelting each other with snowballs. The drayman leads his team with care, lest they should slip on the icy road. See the snow on the statue of Charles; it recalls to mind the burial of that unfortunate monarch, — the snow that fell then was looked upon as type of his innocence.
Charing Cross
So named, from a cross erected there by Edward I., to commemorate his affection for his beloved queen, Eleanor. The cross marked the last resting-place of the body on its way to Westminster : the exact spot is now occupied by the equestrian statue of Charles I. ; it is in bronze, and was executed by Le Soeur, in 1638, for the Earl of Arundel.
Northumberland House
the town residence of the Duke of Northumberland, forms one side of Trafalgar Square. It was built by Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, in whose time it was called Northampton House. In 1643 it fell to Algernon Earl of Northumberland, by marriage; since then it has been called Northumberland House. The only part seen from the street is the screen, which was repaired about 1752, but supposed to have been built in the reign of Edward VI. On the top is a, lion passant. A spacious court intervenes between this and the house, behind which are extensive gardens reaching down to the river. Bernard Jansen was architect of this ancient house, to which Inigo Jones erected a fourth side.
Related Material
References
Limner, Luke [John Leighton]. The Cries of London & Public Edifices from Sketches on the Spot. London: Grant & Griffith successors to Newberry and Harris. Corner of St Paul's Church Yard, [1847]. Internet Archive version of a copy in the University of Toronto Library. Web. 17 September 2013.
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Last modified 18 September 2013