Dawn of the underground age: Fascinating archive pictures reveal backbreaking work that finally gave London the Tube



Photographer Henry Flather documented construction work that 'transformed the face of London' in 1860s

Historic pictures reveal building work underway on stations and lines across the capital




The race for a seat may be foremost in the minds of the millions of commuters who swarm London's transport network each weekday morning.

But these fascinating archive photographs reveal the sheer scale of the work that went into building the stations and lines that continue to keep the capital moving more than a century on.



Some of the photographs date back as far as 1868, and offer the city's workforce 'something to think about next time you top up your Oyster Card', the

Museum of London said.



Making tracks: The roofing over the underground Metropolitan District Railway is visible in this photograph taken near South Kensington Station by Henry Flather Gloucester Road: This photograph of construction underway on the station looking towards South Kensington shows workers erecting metal arched ribs Many of the historic pictures are the work of Henry Flather, who took a series of 64 photographs in the late 1860s to document the construction of the railway from Paddington to Blackfriars, via Kensington, Westminster, and the new Victoria Embankment.

Railway workers, or 'navvies', used the 'cut-and-cover' method to build the first underground railways before the development of the tunneling shield by James Henry Greathead. The first tunneled, or 'tube', railway in London was the City & South London Line, which opened its doors in 1890.

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Sharon Ament, director of the Museum of London said: 'Millions of Londoners hop on the tube or take a train each day, but it’s easy to forget what magnificent feats of engineering these building projects were under Queen Victoria’s reign.



'The railway age transformed the face of London and the layout of the city that we know today, without the modern technology that projects like Crossrail benefit from. Something to think about next time your top up your oyster card.'

Keeping the city moving: The view of bustling commuters from Victoria station forecourt captured in 1920

Passage of the years: Millions of passengers still use the capital city's transport network every day more than a century on

'Transforming the face of London': Building work underway on the District Line outside the city's Somerset House in 1869

Now and then: The efforts are now concealed beneath the road - and trees that have matured over the decades - overlooked by Somerset House

London's 'railway age': Londoners walk past a sign for 'electric trains every few minutes' at King's Cross in the 19th Century

Time pushes on: London is a very different place decades on, with the trappings of modern city life - including the ubiquitous McDonald's - visible at the spot today

Beginnings: A photo of construction workers at the site of Blackfriars Station, looking north-east towards St Paul's Cathedral, taken by Henry Flather

Roads: The expansive exterior of Blackfriars Station in London as it appears today

'At the Museum of London we tell the story of the world’s greatest city and its people. Our photography collection is particularly unique, and provides a glimpse into all aspects of London life during the second half of the 19th and 20th centuries,' she added.

From King's Cross to Waterloo, the photographs reveal how London looked at the dawn of the city's 'railway age'.

In one of Mr Flather's pictures, the skeleton of what is now High Street Kensington Station's arched roof as construction on the building was underway in the 19th Century, while another shows rings of brick arching being laid over two steel frames as builders worked to create the Metropolitan District Railway.

The London Underground celebrated its 150th anniversary this year.

The first section of the Metropolitan Line opened from Paddington to Farringdon in January 1863.

Days gone by: A team of railway staff pose in front of the completed Bayswater Station in a photograph taken around 1866

2013: Today there are cashpoints, telephone boxes and buskers outside Bayswater Tube Station in London

Finishing touches: The exterior of Gloucester Road station on the Metropolitan and District Railway line, which was opened on October 3 1868

Standing the test of time: The signage still reads Metropolitan & District Railways at Gloucester Road Station

Break in proceedings: A group of railway construction workers, or 'navvies', pose for the camera beside a steam crane in Praed Street, Paddington

Fast food restaurants: Today Praed Street in London's Paddington is home to McDonald's, Burger King, and various other restaurants and shops

Glimpse of the past: A view of the forecourt of the Southern Railway terminus at London Bridge, originally built in 1836

How it looks now: The forecourt at London Bridge station, which is flooded with commuters during rush hour from Monday to Friday

Backbone of the city: This photograph shows the roof of Kensington Station - later renamed High Street Kensington - under construction

Impressive: The vast interior of the completed High Street Kensington Station - then known simply as Kensington Station - captured by Henry Flather around 1868



Recorded for posterity: Photographer Henry Flather's portable darkroom can be seen on the tracks inside the completed Bayswater Station

Tunnels: Workers are seen roofing over a cutting to form twin tunnels, with five rings of brick arching being laid over two steel frames, during construction of the Metropolitan Line



Before the rush hour: A construction site to the west of Waterloo Bridge and the foot of Savoy Street, as building work was underway on the Victoria Embankment and the Metropolitan District Line

Our work is done: The completed interior at Notting Hill Gate Station captured by Henry Flather

Modern methods: More recent construction work underway on the Crossrail link at New Oxford Street in the heart of the city









