Horse Bus Collection

High Street, Barnes, West London
A simply stunning real photographic postcard showing the High Street, Barnes, West London, featuring a very smart carriage (left) with two finely-dressed coachmen and a horse bus behind

An engraving depicting a horse bus crossing the top of Farringdon Street, London, 19th century
5310637 An engraving depicting a horse bus crossing the top of Farringdon Street, London, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1844); Universal History Archive/UIG

An engraving depicting horse buses by the Bank of England, 19th century
5310633 An engraving depicting horse buses by the Bank of England, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1845); Universal History Archive/UIG

An engraving depicting a Parisian horse bus, 19th century
5310630 An engraving depicting a Parisian horse bus, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1853); Universal History Archive/UIG

Vue plan coupé et elévation des nouveau omnibus du boulevard, 1853. Creator: Honore Daumier
Vue plan coupe et elevation des nouveau omnibus du boulevard, 1853. Nota - Ces Nouvelles voitures ont recu la haute approbation de l'homme a la perche

Horse Guards, London, c1900. Creator: Unknown
Horse Guards, London, c1900

Bolted!" An Impending Catastrophe, 1890. Creator: Unknown. Bolted!" An Impending Catastrophe, 1890
Bolted!" An Impending Catastrophe, 1890. From "The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper", Volume 42. July to December, 1890

Near an omnibus station, the Palais-Royal in 1875, 1898 (litho)
5913103 Near an omnibus station, the Palais-Royal in 1875, 1898 (litho); (add.info.: Near an omnibus station, the Palais-Royal, 1875)

London horse bus of the early 20th Century (b / w photo)
3637595 London horse bus of the early 20th Century (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: London horse bus of the early 20th Century)

A horse-bus clashes with a horse-cab in 1853. Bussy: "Why don t you move on there
A horse-bus clashes with a horse-cab in 1853. Bussy: " Why don t you move on there?" Cabby: " Why didn t you tell us you were a coming? We wouldn t a bin ere at all!" Date: 1853

Camden Town Station, London
Street scene with a view at the Camden Town Station, London. Date: circa 1900

Iron Billy, London horse-bus driver, 1873 (b / w photo)
3099653 Iron Billy, London horse-bus driver, 1873 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Iron Billy, London horse-bus driver, 1873)

Fleet Street in 1880 (b / w photo)
3637727 Fleet Street in 1880 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Fleet Street in 1880)

Summer Resort in the High Mountains (coloured engraving)
979224 Summer Resort in the High Mountains (coloured engraving) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Summer Resort in the High Mountains.); © Look and Learn

The Strand before the redevelopment involving the construction of Aldwych (b / w photo)
3637353 The Strand before the redevelopment involving the construction of Aldwych (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Horse-drawn London bus (colour litho)
983769 Horse-drawn London bus (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Horse-drawn London bus.); Look and Learn / Peter Jackson Collection

Advertisement for Mrs Hellins Bank Commercial Hotel, 3 Bridge Street, Bristol (engraving)
3639329 Advertisement for Mrs Hellins Bank Commercial Hotel, 3 Bridge Street, Bristol (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Place de la Trinite in Paris, 1911. Artist: Albert Marquet
Place de la Trinite in Paris, 1911. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg

Piccadilly Circus, London, late 19th-early 20th century. Creator: Unknown
Piccadilly Circus, London, late 19th-early 20th century. Busy thoroughfare, with Shaftesbury Avenue on the left and the London Pavilion in the centre. Postcard

New buildings in Cheapside (nos 107 and 108), City of London, 1860. Artist: Robert Dudley
New buildings in Cheapside (nos 107 and 108), City of London, 1860. Figures and carriages in the foreground

St Georges Fields, Southwark, London, c1825. Artist: Louis Haghe
St Georges Fields, Southwark, London, c1825. View of the Indigent Blind School at St Georges Fields, with the obelisk, erected in 1771 at St Georges Circus, which was used as a milestone

City of London Lying-In Hospital, City Road, Finsbury, London, c1827. Artist
City of London Lying-In Hospital, City Road, Finsbury, London, c1827. View with figures, including a man begging and an omnibus

South-west view of St Pauls Cathedral from St Pauls Churchyard, City of London, 1842. With figures including two soldiers on horseback, an omnibus and a wagon

Holborn Hill and Skinner Street before Holborn Viaduct was built, City of London, 1864. View with figures, horses carriages and omnibuses in the street, and advertisements on buildings

Farringdon Street and Holborn Viaduct, City of London, 1869. With figures, horses, carts, carriages and omnibuses

Kings Cross, London, 19th century. View with an omnibus in the street

Entrance to the Grand Junction Railway terminal, Skinner Street, near Holborn Viaduct, London, 1835. showing an omnibus. This proposed railway was to run from Camden Town to the City

Horse bus at the RAC TT race, Isle of Man, 10 June 1914. Artist: Bill Brunell
Place: Douglas, Isle of Man. R.A.C. T.T. Race. Date: 10.6.14

London omnibus, early 20th century. The London Omnibus Company was founded in 1855 to run horse-drawn bus services in the city

Ludgate Circus, London, prepared for Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee, 1897. Artist
Ludgate Circus, London, prepared for Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee, 1897

London Bridge, c1880

Match seller, Ludgate Hill, London, 1893. Artist: Paul Martin
Match seller, Ludgate Hill, London, 1893

Cyclist in busy London traffic riding a machine of the Rover safety type, 1895. Artist: Stephen T Dadd
Cyclist in busy London traffic riding a machine of the Rover safety type, 1895. A police constable looks on as the cyclist rides alongside a horse bus (omnibus)

Brompton Oratory, London, c1910. The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as Brompton Oratory, is a large neo-classical Roman Catholic Church in Knightsbridge, London

Tempora Mutantur!, 1886 (1891). Artist: George du Maurier
Tempora Mutantur!, 1886 (1891). A print from Society Pictures, drawn by George du Maurier, selected from Punch, Volume II, London, 1891

Traffic passing the Bank of England, London, c late 19th century. Stereoscopic card detail

London Bridge, London, c late 19th century. Artist: Underwood & Underwood
London Bridge, London, c late 19th century. The bridge was rebuilt in 1825 as the old one could no longer cope with the increasing traffic, to a design by John Rennie

Law Courts, Strand, London, late 19th century. Artist: London Stereoscopic & Photographic Co
Law Courts, Strand, London, late 19th century. The Royal Courts of Justice were built between 1873 and 1882. The Victorian Gothic style building was designed by George Edmund Street

The Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, Westminster, London, 1904. The photograph is looking east down the Strand towards St Dunstan in the West

Berlin - Unter den Linden mit Blick in die Friedrichstrasze, c1900. Berlin, Unter den Linden mit Blick in die Friedrichstrasze, (Unter den Linden overlooking the Friedrichstrasse)

Piccadilly Circus, London, 20th Century. The statue of Eros is visible on the left of the picture. Postcard from The Souvenir Album, Views of London And The River Thames, From London To Oxford

La Bourse, Paris, c1900. The Paris Stock Exchange, built in 1826

A Square in Paris, 1907. Artist: Georges Leon Dufrenoy
A Square in Paris, 1907. Found in the collection of the State A Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Place du Theatre Francais in Paris. Spring, 1898. Artist: Camille Pissarro
Place du Theatre Francais in Paris. Spring, 1898. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg

Blackwall Tunnel, London, c1900. This tunnel, the older Western tunnel, connects the Essex and Kent sides of the Thames. Designed by the London County Councils chief engineer Alexander Binnie

Cyclist in busy London traffic riding a machine of the Rover safety type, 1895. Artist: Stephen T Dadd
Cyclist in busy London traffic riding a machine of the Rover safety type, 1895. A police constable looks on as the cyclist rides alongside a horse bus (omnibus)

Stables
May 1911: The stables used by a bus company to accommodate horses used for pulling the London Horse Bus. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

A Horse Bus
circa 1905: A Harrington horse-bus in use at Chessington Zoo with the conductor standing on the back step. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

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"Journey through Time: The Horse Buses of London" Step back in time and hop aboard the horse bus as we explore the fascinating history of this iconic mode of transportation. From bustling High Street, Barnes in West London to the vibrant Flower sellers at Piccadilly Circus in 1901, these horse-drawn carriages were a common sight on the streets of London. Imagine yourself near an omnibus station at the Palais-Royal in 1875, witnessing the hustle and bustle as passengers eagerly awaited their ride. Even then, clashes between horse-buses and horse-cabs were not uncommon, with frustrated drivers exclaiming "Why don't you move on there?" amidst chaotic scenes. Camden Town Station was another hub where these majestic creatures pulled their carriages along busy streets. Iron Billy, a renowned London horse-bus driver from 1873, would have skillfully maneuvered his vehicle through crowded thoroughfares like Fleet Street in 1880. These charming vehicles also took people to idyllic destinations such as Summer Resort in the High Mountains. With its picturesque landscapes captured beautifully in colored engravings, it's no wonder that many sought solace from city life by embarking on these delightful excursions. The Strand before redevelopment showcased a different era altogether - one filled with nostalgia for a bygone era when Aldwych had yet to be constructed, and is here that we can truly appreciate how much our beloved city has evolved over time. Advertisements played an essential role even back then; Mrs Hellins Bank Commercial Hotel proudly promoted its services at 3 Bridge Street, Bristol through intricate engravings. These ads served as reminders of how interconnected cities were during this period. As we reflect upon these black-and-white photographs capturing early twentieth-century London horse buses' charm and elegance, it becomes clear why they hold such a special place in our collective memory.