Royal Procession on the opening of London Bridge: with the arrangements of the entertainment---Monday, Aug. 1, 1831.

[LONDONBRIDGE]. Royal Procession on the opening of LondonBridge with the arrangements of the entertainment.----Monday, Aug. 1, 1831. Large folio illustrated broadside, 19 1/2 x 14 1/2", text in 4 columns, within publisher's decorative fern leaf border. [London:] J. Catnach, Printer, 2 Monmouth-Court, 7 Dials [1831].

A rare illustrated broadside marking the opening of London Bridge, giving details of the royal procession. A hot air balloon aloft, flags flying, the banks of the river and roof tops filled with waving and cheering crowds; on the river a flotilla including the Royal Barge, many oared boats near the bridge, and those with sails off in the distance on the other side. Four columns of text, two of them about preparations for the ceremony, and two songs, "The Landing of Royal William and Adelaide at London Bridge" and "New London Bridge and King William for Ever!" The new bridge marked the replacement of the 600-year-old London Bridge with its new design of the stone arches by John Rennie, constructed 1824-1831, then sold in 1968 and rebuilt at Lake Havasu, Arizona, on a concrete frame with stones from the old London Bridge used as cladding. We traversed the old bridge in London many times, and ahve seen the recreated bridge in Arizona, and think it surely looked better in London! The broadside is mounted on Japan tissue and has tiny losses at old fold lines in the middle of the broadside, otherwise is lightly toned and spotted. We have located three copies: National Library of Scoland (recorded by, Crawford, Bibliotheca Lindesiana 1692); V & A, and the Science Museum, London.