Charing Cross Station en Hotel met ervoor de replica van het Eleanor cross in Londen c. 1880 - 1910

Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart made this photograph of Charing Cross Station and Hotel, featuring the Eleanor Cross replica, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image captures a moment of Victorian London's urban development, where railway stations became grand gateways to the city, symbols of progress and empire. The inclusion of the Eleanor Cross replica is particularly telling. Originally erected in the 13th century to honor Queen Eleanor, these crosses marked the route of her funeral procession. The Victorian replica, standing in front of a modern railway hotel, evokes a deliberate connection to England’s medieval past, but also shows the expansion of the railway and hotel industries that changed the urban landscape. To understand this photograph more fully, one might consult railway archives, architectural records, and social histories of London during this period. Through such research, we can better appreciate how this image reflects the complex interplay of tradition, commerce, and national identity in Victorian England.