Smithfield Market, London

View of Smithfield market with some marketers that prepare the meat and trundle it on barrows under its characteristic roof trusses. Smithfield was already a marketplace during the Middle Ages. The previous Poultry Market, designed by Sir Horace Jones in the 19th century, was damaged by bombs during World War II despite of remaining closed to avoid concentrations of people in recognisable buildings. Smithfield opened again in 1964 when meat rationing was lifted and followed a new design by Sir Thomas Bennett. Whilst many central London markets, such as Billingsgate and Covent Garden have relocated out of central London, Smithfield Market remains in the north-west of the modern City of London. The market was refurbished in the 1990s to meet modern hygiene standards, and the Grade II* listed Victorian buildings now feature a temperature-controlled environment. As well as being home to the meat market, Smithfield today is a fashionable area with a variety of bars, clubs, cafes, restaurants and an art gallery.
Jacqueline Stanley was born in Camberwell, London. She studied at Beckenham College of Art and Royal College of Art from 1949 to 1952. She has exhibited in London, Ireland and Spain and group-exhibited in countries such as Italy, Cuba and Japan.