Tower of London: Past and Present

The Tower of London is one of Britain's premier ancient monuments and tourist attractions. Until the 19th-century, however, the Tower was a collection of self-contained communities: as well as a royal residence, it housed the Menagerie, the Record Office, the Board of Ordnance and the Royal Mint. During the nineteenth century, most of these bodies withdrew, older buildings were repaired and more recent ones were demolished as part of a programme to make the Tower resemble a medieval castle once again. The Crown Jewels and the Armouries were both re-displayed, creating a magnet for visitors. Many previously unpublished images, taken between 1850 and 1950, have been selected by Dr Parnell in order to provide, for the first time, a valuable record of the remarkable transformations which have shaped the Tower of London on view today.