Mansion Block, London

In the 1880s, at the height of Empire, people still lived near the centre of London but their accommodation was becoming smaller and smaller as more and more people were squeezed into the City. From the late 19th century, the London Underground allowed people to commute to the outskirts in large numbers.

Different types of housing were built for people to live in, the huge 1930s house-building programme created semi-detached suburbia, and blocks of flats also sprung up. To make the flats a community, mansion blocks were built all over London like this one in the picture. Thank goodness they were built in an era when the architecture was grand and aesthetic.