Inside a home in, 1942, photo by John Collier.
Another job for the SdKfz 9/1 of Hamburg Fire Brigade after the war
The Oxford Arms Inn in London was originally built in the 16th century and rebuilt following the Great Fire of 1666. It was still occupied when photographed here in 1875 but was threatened by demolition.
It was pulled down three years later, making way for a range of new houses.
Britain was slow to create a state-sponsored programme to protect and record the historic environment. In the 19th century, concerned individuals and groups helped to fill the gap.
The pressure they brought to bear encouraged the gradual evolution of nationwide programmes to record and care for historical monuments and to build up our remarkable collections, which now serve to document the nation's past.
An early group was the Society for Photographing Relics of Old London. It was formed in 1875 to record historic buildings threatened by development and made copies of its photographs available to subscribers. Photographers Alfred and John Bool captured the Oxford Arms Inn for the Society.