Sydenham Town Forum

regoneil,

I am curious to know if you remember much about the aquarium building which was next door to the North Tower and was used as an Avery and a Menagerie in its later life.

Surely there would be some photos of it in this book:

http://www.middletonpress.co.uk/details ... 3%2036%207

Something funny with the sites cookies. They don't work for me. Always seem to forget me.


ps I am running Slackware Linux 13

oh dear a forum-bot


but I think I should take a photo of the remains of those staircases before they are lost.

I do wonder how much light got into the basement levels, I think one of the reasons there are no know photos of the inside of the aquarium is that it might have been to dark. The aquarium was also at basement level.

Is this the same area?

http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//BHC_ ... tal+palace

comparing the two towers you can see there are some differences from the outside.

Looks like Brunel reused a lot of parts from the original but made the towers larger by using another flat section of iron rather than a round column.

That's the "Canada House" building from the 1911 festival of empire. Burned down in the 1950s I believe.

Didn't think the basement was that large.

ah I'll correct myself and edit my posts.

I am not sure

From a bit of searching I think these are what you are after: North Wing http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/4027/rarecp6.jpg http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5876/crystalpalacesydenhamno.jpg South Wing http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6601/southwingfromopencolona.jpg and in this drawing you see the ...

better one of plinth 15, also the statute on plinth 16 looks damaged:

It may well have been that Brunel improved on Wild's design and altered certain things.. but what is unclear.


Also the towers in those photos look slightly thinner.

well here are photos of the towers being built: SOUTH TOWER http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/siteimages/pic01/fullsize/00899.jpg http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/siteimages/pic01/fullsize/00962.jpg NORTH TOWER http://landmark.lambeth.gov.uk/siteimages/pic01/fullsize/00958.jpg http://landmark.lambeth.gov...

I don't know about marks, but there were pairs of sphinx either side of the central steps, removed perhaps when the external were erected. the sphinxes were still there when the steps were you can see the stairs and sphinx in one of the photos you have put up on the first post: http://i242.photobuc...

I just use http://www.old-maps.co.uk to see what maps are available,

I can't advise where the best place for price is, old-maps charges £14.99 for a digital copy.

There is a 1916 1:2500 scale map, which shows the area in better detail so if you can try and buy\view a copy.

Looking at an OS map in 1920 shows that "Wells Park Road" used to be known as "Wells Road"




edit: said 1916 but corrected to 1920

1. What can you tell me about the two grand external staircases that lead from the main entrance to the upper terrace. I contend that they were built quite late, but I'm not sure why or when. I think those were built for the festival of Empire in 1911. I also believe if you look by the remains of t...