A panorama from the south of the river, looking towards the north bank. Showing the pedestrian’s viewpoint at street level, the panorama traces the route of the Thames. It focuses on the main buildings on both banks as well as the bridges spanning it. As the title suggests, the emphasis is on the importance of the Thames, with the names of significant features printed along the lower margin. The panorama begins with the newly built Houses of Parliament. As it moves downstream other important government buildings, bridges, St Paul’s Cathedral and other churches are identified. Warehouses, factories, churches, markets and official buildings combine to create an overall picture of a working city. There is also a wide variety of shipping on the water, with pleasure traffic mixing with commercial, coal and hay barges, paddle streamers, dredgers, ferries and the mass of shipping below London Bridge. A companion panorama, The Grand Architectural Panorama of London: Regent Street to Westminster Abbey, also published by I. Whitelaw and engraved on wood by G. C. Leighton, was produced in the same year.

'The Illustrated London News' magazine, which was first printed in 1842, is a fine pictorial example of a historic social record of British and world events up to the present day. The founder of the 'Illustrated London News' was Herbert Ingram, a bookseller, newsagent and printer from Nottingham, who acquired the necessary capital from the sale of 'Parrs' laxative pills.

Rolled into a scroll, handle with extreme care.