Fire in Cheapside

A Woodburytype showing the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the warehouse of the ‘wine, spirit & tea merchants’ T. Foster & Co of 48 Cheapside on Thursday 1 September 1881.

A report on the fire appeared under the title ‘Destructive Fire in Cheapside' in the Bury and Norwich Post (13 September 1881). ‘Fire said to have been caused by a gas explosion, broke out about three o’clock on Thursday week in a building, No. 45, Cheapside, occupied by Messrs. Foster and Co., tea-merchants. The explosion of gas, it is stated, broke a large number of bottles containing spirits, and the spirits taking fire carried the flame with lightning-like rapidity over the floor. In less than ten minutes from the time of the outbreak the interior of the building was all on fire, and the premises to the right and left soon shared the misfortune. The heat also caused the fire to break out about half an hour later on the other side of Bread-street, at Nos. 46 and 47, Cheapside, the warehouse of Messrs. P. B. Cow, Hill and Co., india-rubber manufacturers.’

Photographed by The London Stereoscopic Company.

Produced by Fosters themselves, partly as a means of advertising their ‘Temporary Premises during the re-building,’ the Woodburytype is mounted on a piece of card of roughly the same dimensions as a standard cabinet card and was available to the public at a price of one shilling. The reverse of the mount carries quotes concerning the fire taken from three different newspaper reports, as well as an advertisement for Fosters giving the addresses of all their various branches.

There is also the following information concerning the cause of the conflagration: ‘The Fire was caused by a Gasfitter, employed by our tenant on the first floor, incautiously testing an escape of Gas with a lighted candle in his hand.’