Illustrated London News Goes Digital

M@
By M@ Last edited 167 months ago
Illustrated London News Goes Digital

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"Page 3! Christina Rossetti gets her kit off. Hot!"
Between 1842 and 1971, the Illustrated London News was one of the capital's major publishing institutions. The newspaper pioneered the use of drawings in the service of reportage, and chronicled developments locally, nationally and overseas. For anyone fascinated by London's history, its archive holds many treasures. Today, that archive is available electronically and in full (including the non-weekly issues after 1971) to institutional subscribers.

As well as reproducing the papers in their original layout, including adverts and notices, the archive is fully text searchable. Images have been tagged up, allowing pictorial searches. In total, the archive contains a quarter of a million pages and three-quarters of a million illustrations. The Guardian picks out a few faves.

Alas, you can't yet access the resource as an individual subscriber, but that option may be possible in the future. In the meantime, make sure you're following the Ian Visits blog for regular commentary on some of the ILN's most Londony content, including the original Hungerford Bridge, a tunnel under Trafalgar Square and a map of Victorian toll gates.

Last Updated 15 April 2010