- Title: LONDON | DRAWN & ENGRAVED EXPRESSLY FOR THE POST OFFICE DIRECTORY
- Author: Kelly's Directories Limited
- Date: 1904
- Condition: Very Good - Printed on durable cartographic linen; original fold creases remain. Detached from its initial booklet.
- Inches: 41 x 27 [Image]
- Centimeters: 104.14 x 68.58 [Image]
- Product ID: 308591
Expertly engraved for the Post Office of London in 1904, this detailed folding map of London was issued expressly for inclusion in Kelly’s Directories, which were authoritative reference works cataloging urban and suburban addresses throughout the United Kingdom. The map provides a wealth of information on London’s postal boundaries, the city’s growing underground railway system, and topographical features, each rendered to aid efficient mail delivery and navigation at the dawn of the twentieth century. Notably, the map records elevations above sea level, underscoring its practical application for both postal logistics and broader urban travel in early twentieth-century London.
Background on Creator
Kelly’s Directories Limited was established in London in 1897 as the successor to Kelly & Co., under the leadership of Frederic Festus Kelly, and became the United Kingdom’s leading publisher of trade, street, and postal directories from the mid-nineteenth century into the twentieth century. Famous for their comprehensive listings of businesses, residents, and postal addresses, the directories served as indispensable reference tools for urban, commercial, and genealogical research, earning a reputation as the “Victorian Yellow Pages”. The company adapted through changing times and continued publishing well into the twentieth century, providing historical snapshots of Britain’s social, economic, and urban landscape.