Things to do with a child in Edwardian London
Join us in discovering a children's guide titled "Where to Take Children: A Guide Around London," compiled by John O'London and published by J.L. & Co. Ltd. in 1920.
By The Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
Ana Moreno Garrido
The Classic British Elegance
Not just anyone can create a 34-page tourist guide that reads like chapters from a book, with illustrated capital letters and pen and ink drawings. On the outside, a simple design of 14 silhouettes, in just four colours, showcases the best of London.
Interior Page of "Where to Take the Children" - St. James's Park and Horse Guards (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
A Guide for Children?
The title "Where to Take Children: A Guide Around London" confuses us. Too much text, no colour, places for adults… it seems more like a guide for parents with children.
Vintage English Postcard: Ludgate Hill and St. Paul's (1900)The Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
Telling the City for Them
The British had a lot of practice and tradition in telling the city for children since the 18th century, especially between 1880 and the early 20th century, when children's books experienced a true editorial boom, and among them, there was a specific genre: London.
Were visits for children very different between the 19th and early 20th Centuries? Let's review a classic children's book about London, “London Town” by Crane and Houghton from 1883, and compare it with the guide from 1920.
Vintage English Postcard: Oxford Circus in London (1900)The Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
What Changes?
For the little tourists of the 20th century, there are no longer city narratives, street life, anecdotes, or toy stores. That London has faded away; now, we see what tourism had already established as visitable: the cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the museums…
Interior Page of "Where to Take the Children" - Kensington Gardens (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
Although in Kensington Gardens, the statue of Peter Pan, unveiled in 1912, immediately became London's most famous "child."
Interior Page of "Where to Take the Children" - The Tower of London (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
And What Remains?
The main attractions that, in both cases, start from the same place: the Tower of London. The guide includes a detailed illustration of the tower and informative text about its history, architectural features, and visiting hours.
Interior Page of "Where to Take the Children" - Regent's Park and London Zoo (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
The 1920 guide also keeps elephant rides as an attraction, a tradition that evokes the famous rides on Jumbo, the gigantic elephant that left the zoo in 1882 and met a tragic end.
Tourism and Gastronomy
Let’s look beyond the typical visits because this guide is, in fact, a fascinating alliance between tourism and gastronomy, or a perfect example of how some mass consumption and restaurant companies advertised themselves through tourism.
Half-title Page of "Where to Take the Children" - London Guide (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
An Empire Behind a Brochure
The guide was published by Lyon’s & Co, a culinary empire known for good food, reasonable prices, and beautiful interiors, founded in 1886 as tea shops but became very famous for its renowned corner houses since 1909.
Interior Page of "Where to Take the Children" - Westminster Abbey and Houses of Parliament (1920) by John O'LondonThe Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
Replenishing Strength
Lyon's & Co cleverly linked "child" tourism with its establishments. At its peak, they had around 250 tea rooms and corners just in London. Their location on Parliament Street was especially popular.
Vintage English Postcard: Piccadilly Circus, London (1900)The Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
Turning to Classics
The selection of tourist attractions was entrusted to the well-known John O’London, the pseudonym of the influential Wilfred Whitten, editor and writer for the best-selling magazine in the Empire from 1919 to 1954.
Vintage English Postcard: The Mansion House and the Royal Exchange in London (1900)The Martín-Crespo Collection of Tourism
The End of an Era
But that enterprise, which entered every home and was present on every street, would begin to languish in the 1960s, closing its last location, the one at Marble Arch, in 1974. Few companies, brands, and flavours have left such a mark on 20th-century England.
Text: Ana Moreno Garrido.
Edition: Eugenia Martín-Crespo Rodríguez.
Translation: Elena Araujo Díaz de Terán.
In collaboration with the Diego de Sagredo Foundation.
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