James Gray: View looking up to Russell Square, on 9 February 1964. The street took its name from the West battery just a few yards away on Kings Road. It had a long life, the houses being built during the 1820s and those on the west side may stand for some years yet. The whole of the east side was demolished in 1964 and 1965 as part of the vast West Street redevelopment. jgc_29_061
James Gray: View up Cannon Place in 1968. During the three or four years since the houses on the east side were demolished the car park had been finished and the building of Chartwell Court flats had proceeded apace. jgc_29_174
2018: More houses have been demolished since 1964. Those remaining on the west side of Cannon Place are nos 27-30. The two houses facing the camera at the end of the road in both images are Nos 12 and 11 Russell Square. The Sandpiper Guest House is No 11, on the corner with Cannon Place. Nos 10-1 Russell Square (the numbers run west to east) were demolished to make way for Churchill Square. The blank wall on the lower left of the 2018 image is part of the Metropole Hotel. It is opposite the NCP’s Russell Square multi-storey car park. (Photographer: Suzanne Hinton)
James Gray: Here is an interesting comparison (and following). The original of this photograph must have been taken in one of the years 1866-1868. The shopkeeper, Dickenson, at 107 King’s Road (next to the corner) was there only during these three years. jgc_29_064
James Gray: Here is the same corner, nearly a century later, on 1 August 1965, to be exact. Look at the doorway of the tall corner building, in the 1860s known as Cannon Mansion, a lodging house and in 1965 a part of the Hotel Metropole. It seems virtually unchanged as does the low building beyond. In the earlier photograph it was a billiard saloon, but in this century, a Post Office. This building together with others higher up the road have since been removed for the Conference Hall. jgc_29_065
James Gray: Three houses Nos 31, 32 and 33 on the west side of Cannon Place, photographed on 19 March 1967. These houses are about 150 years old and their future is uncertain. There are proposals for an extension of the Exhibition Hall adjoining the Metropole and if these proceed all the buildings on this side of Cannon Place up to the corner will be swept away. jgc_29_062
James Gray: The view up Cannon Place, showing both sides intact, and a sight of the houses in Upper Russell Street at the top. Period – about 1955. jgc_29_108