If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 521

 

 

 

 

 

Trafalgar Square, London, ca 1950s

 

This Thomas & Benacci Ltd. postcard has a photograph of Trafalgar Square in London, England.  It is another unused souvenir card from the collection shared by friends.  “Lo 7” is found at the lower left corner on the reverse.

 

Located in Westminster, the square was established in the early 19^th century in an area formerly known as Charing Cross.  The square’s name commemorates the British naval victory of Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars on 21 October 1805.  The 169 ft (52 m) Nelson’s Column in the center of the square has four lion guards as can be seen on the card.  At the top of the column is a statue of Horatio Nelson, who commanded the British Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.  Buildings facing the square include the National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Canada House and South Africa House.  There are other statues and sculptures in the square.  Two fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1937 and 1939 flank the column.  The fountains use water pumped from two wells. 

 

This site has been a significant landmark since the 1200s.  Distances measured rom Charing Cross have served as location markers for centuries.  The square is used for community gatherings and political demonstrations.  A Christmas tree donated by Norway since 1947 is on display in the Square for 12 days.  Annual New Year’s Eve celebrations are held in the Square.

 

The photograph, taken ca 1950s, shows a large flock of feral pigeons for which the square was famous.  The flock grew to the size of approximately 35,000 birds and was deemed a health hazard.  In 2001 the sale of bird seed in the square stopped and other measures were adopted to discourage the pigeons.  This was followed by bylaws to ban feeding of pigeons in the square.  Finally in 2007 The Westminster City Council passed further bylaws banning feeding the birds in paved areas.  The Nelson statue was repaired from years of damage from pigeon droppings.  Another interesting trivia fact stems from building work on the square’s south side in the early 1950s.  Among the findings at that time were the remains of cave lions, rhinoceroses, straight-tusked elephants, and hippopotami. 

 

 Once again, thank you to K and J for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafalgar_Square