A “new” picture of Brentford

by Carolyn Hammond, Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal 13 (2004)

Brentford on Queen Victoria's Wedding day

Brentford on Queen Victoria’s Wedding day

This charming painting of Brentford High Street in 1840 was recently donated to the Local Studies Collection at Chiswick Library. Its owner, seeking to identify the scene, contacted Local Studies which confirmed that the picture showed St Lawrence’s church and its vicarage, also, and of particular interest, the arch of greenery across the High Street erected as part of the celebrations for Queen Victoria’s wedding day on 10 February 1840.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert passed through Brentford on their way to their wedding breakfast at Windsor and an article describing how Brentford marked the visit was published in the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal No 8, (1999). The Local Studies Librarian sent this article and various illustrations to the picture’s owner who responded by offering to give the picture to Chiswick Library. Sadly, the painting is not signed so we don’t know the name of the amateur artist who presumably witnessed the events of the day.

Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me