London's Sewers

Description

London's sewers could be called the city's forgotten underground: mostly unseen subterranean spaces that are of absolutely vital importance, the capital's sewers nonetheless rarely get the same degree of attention as the Tube. Paul Dobraszczyk here outlines the fascinating history of London's sewers from the nineteenth century onwards, using a rich variety of colour illustrations, photographs and newspaper engravings to show their development from medieval spaces to the complex, citywide network, largely constructed in the 1860s, that is still in place today. This book explores London's sewers in history, fiction and film, including how they entice intrepid explorers into their depths, from the Victorian period to the present day.

Paul Dobraszczyk is an art historian specializing in the architecture and visual culture of the Victorian period, from underground spaces to graphic design, ornamental cast iron to census forms. He has published widely on these subjects, including two books: Into the Belly of the Beast: Exploring London's Victorian Sewers (Spire, 2009) and Iron, Ornament and Architecture in Victorian Britain (Ashgate, 2014).

Named by "The Guardian" as One of the Top 10 Science and Technology Books for June 2014