Thom, Colin; (2024) Annual Lecture 2022: The Survey of London: past, present and future. The Journal of Historic Buildings and Places , 3 pp. 9-30.

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Abstract

The Survey of London is often described as the closest thing to an ‘official’ history of the capital, documenting its buildings past and present, area by area – their development, architecture, history and associations. Research involves field and archival work, photography, filming and drawing, as well as seeking the views, knowledge and memories of those who know London’s streets and buildings, in the present or the past. The resulting scholarly volumes are the most detailed, reliable and illuminating accounts of London’s built environment available – an invaluable resource for planners, historians, architects or anyone with an interest in the capital. Internationally acknowledged for its authority and accessibility, the Survey of London publications have no parallel in any other world city. This article looks at the Survey’s origins, under the architect and designer C. R. Ashbee, as part of the fledgling conservation movement of the late-Victorian period and goes on to explore how the series has evolved and changed since then, as London itself has expanded and transformed. Some of the Survey’s most recent work is also described and illustrated, as are changes in governance and the continuing challenges of retaining the traditions, identity and relevance of the series while responding to London’s shifting character and fresh ideas about how its history should be researched and presented.

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