Fairfax Road c1905

Comment by Alice Mezzo on July 18, 2019 at 9:07

Wow this is amazing.  Do you know where I could get a print of this at all?

Comment by Hugh on July 18, 2019 at 16:45

I've replied to you by personal message.

Comment by Moine Bergson on July 18, 2019 at 21:38

This is great. Thanks Hugh. I think it’s taken from the passage. The sale board on the right hand side behind the gas lamp marks where the houses were bombed in WW2. This is where the flats stand now...

Comment by Hugh on July 18, 2019 at 22:29

Hi Monie, I initially figured that the photo was taken was closer to the passage too. But in fact I think that's just an illusory facet of the lens used.

My landmarks in calculating the position were, firstly, the terrace of houses on the right. They have a slanted bay on the ground floor and no bay on the first. Beyond them is a terrace with a few houses with turreted roofs. It looks like they then revert to plain pitched roofs for the following section. 

The terrace on the right also seems to have its ground floor raised above ground level. Comparing the heights of the hedges in front of the houses on the left against the same markers on the right confirms this.

Walking down the street on Street View, there only seems to be one location that fits.

Comment by Tom E on July 18, 2019 at 23:01

Agree with your perspective on location Hugh! Would also be keen for a print of this if you could drop me a message?

Comment by Moine Bergson on July 19, 2019 at 0:07

Hi Hugh

I get the point about perspective being misleading so I worked back from Green Lanes on Street View. Am pretty sure that the houses on the right have all gone now. I used the turret to the left of the gas lamp as a marker. Think it’s 132... (fairly distinctive sash window).

Comment by Moine Bergson on July 19, 2019 at 0:17

Compare this his edited section to the one above.

Comment by Hugh on July 19, 2019 at 0:36

It's difficult, but perhaps the clincher for me is the raised level of the ground floor of the houses on the right. That can only be the houses in the terrace I've identified. Incidentally, cutting those out in your cropped version of the photo makes it difficult to accurately place the location. 

Not sure it matters that much. It's a good photo anyway! :0)

Comment by Moine Bergson on July 19, 2019 at 1:01

Yes, it’s a great photo. I guess I should declare an interest - this backs up the old story that the houses on my row (near the gas lamp)  were bombed. A couple were rebuilt in the Victorian style and the rest became the flats...

Thanks 

Comment by Hugh on July 19, 2019 at 1:25

The London Metropolitan Archives has a full set of bomb damage maps. Various online bomb damage maps have been set up, but none are comprehensive.

This 1915 OS map shows that Fairfax was fully built up by 1915 (click to enlarge). I'm pretty sure you're correct in thinking the mid-twentieth century flats replaced bomb damaged houses.

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