Streets of London – Carlton Palace circa 1810

Carlton House, North Side, Pall Mall, 1809
from The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics

The above print was the start of a series of London building and street prints published by The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics during the early 1800’s.

“An earnest desire has been expressed, by many of the subscribers to the Repository, the views of remarkable buildings in London and its environs might occasionally be substituted for the representations of the interior of shops, which we have been accustomed to give. Conceiving that such an alteration may tend to enhance the interest of the work, and willing to comply with the wishes of the public, whose liberal patronage he is so anxious to deserve, the proprietor has adopted the suggestion; and presents with this number, an accurate delineation of Carlton-House, the residence of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The magnificence, elegance, and taste, displayed in this mansion, give it a just claim to the first rank in the series […].” – The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics

“Carlton-House, the town residence of the heir apparent of the British throne, stands upon the site of a palace which belonged to the crown, and was presented by his Majesty to his Royal Highness on his coming of age. As the old building was much out of repair, the parliament thought fit to enable his Majesty to erect the present elegant structure in its stead. It is situated on the North side of St. James’s Park, with the principal front facing Pall-Mall. The portico, of the Corinthian order, is truly magnificent; but it has be objected, that the other parts of the front being rustic, are too plain to correspond. The house and courtyard are separated by a dwarf-screen, surmounted by a beautiful colonnade. At the back, and contiguous to the Park, are a riding-house and stables, belonging to his Royal Highness; whose garden displays all the refinements of taste and skill which its limits admit of. The great hall of Carlton-House does honour to the genius of the late Mr. Holland, who was the architect of this edifice: it is forty-four feet in length, and twenty-nine in breadth. The new circular dining-room is unquestionably one of the most splendid apartments in Europe. On the south side of it a door opens into a magnificent ball-room, and another door conducts to the drawing-room.”

“The armory occupies five rooms on the attic story, and forms a truly valuable and unrivalled collection, not only of swords, fire-arms, the ancient weapons, and various species of armor, but also of uniforms, dresses, and different works of art. — The whole of this museum is arranged with great order, skill, and taste, under the inspection of the royal proprietor. Many of the articles preserved here are highly interesting, from the eminent characters to whom they once belonged, and the recollections which they awaken. Among them we may be allowed to remark, a sword of the famous Chevalier Bayard, of the great Duke of Marlborough, of General Moreau, and one of exquisite workmanship, by the celebrated Florentine artist, Benvenuto Cellini, which belonged to the patriot Hampden.”

“Though it must be acknowledged that the mansions of many of our nobility are not much inferior, in splendor and costly magnificence, to this residence of the heir apparent, yet, in the display of exquisite taste, combining the appropriate, the useful, and the elegant, Carlton-House is without a rival.” The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics, 1809.

Carlton House [Palace] Front Elevation circa 1811

Carlton House [Palace] Staircase circa 1812

“The taste for Gothic architecture has of late become so prevalent, that it is now employed for every purpose, having been gradually brought from our places of divine worship, to which our forefathers had confined it, to dwelling-houses, and even the palaces of our princes.”

“In the present instance, we have before us, in the Conservatory lately built at Carlton-House, a most elegant specimen of what is technically denominated the florid style of Gothic architecture, of which the finest model in the world is the chapel of King Henry the Seventh at Westminster Abbey.”

“This building is seventy-two feet in length, twenty-three in breadth, and twenty high. It was begun about four years ago, and not long since completed, under the superintendence of Mr. Hopper. […]”

“It was our original intention to exhibit this place in our engraving exactly as it then appeared, with all its splendid decorations and apparatus; but conceiving that these additions would only tend to conceal the beauties of the building itself, we deemed it preferable to represent our view of this elegant structure unencumbered with those ornaments.”

“The entertainment just alluded to, which surpassed in splendor any things of the kind that ever took place in this country, originated from the desire of the Prince Regent to pay due respect to his royal parent, whose birth-day had passed without any mark of public celebration: and to combine with this object another scarcely less laudable, he intimated, in his cards of invitation, a wish that every person should come dressed in articles of British manufacture only. This desire was complied with, and upwards of two thousand of the principal nobility and gentry in the kingdom partook of the ball and supper given by his Royal Highness.”
The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics, 1811.

Carlton House Conservatory, Pall Mall, 1811
from The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics

Map of Carlton Palace House Pall Mall circa 1848
from Map of London from Samuel Lewis’ Atlas to the topographical dictionaries of England and Wales