> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://theparnassian.com/en/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The oldest known photograph of London was taken in 1839
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/stareishaia-iz-izvestnykh-fotografii-londona-byla-sdelana-v-1839-godu/
- Published: 2026-02-24T05:29:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T05:26:53.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Archive, London, Monarchies, Heritage

The oldest known photograph of London was taken in 1839\. It shows the equestrian statue of Charles I near Charing Cross station

This is the oldest bronze statue in London. It rises on a traffic island where Trafalgar Square meets Whitehall. The spot is officially called the “centre of London”, the point from which all road distances to the city are measured.

The monument, moreover, was cast as early as 1633, in the king's own lifetime. After the execution of Charles I, Parliament ordered the statue to be destroyed, but legend has it that the brazier, instead of melting it down, buried it in his garden. It was returned to its former place after the restoration of the monarchy, in 1675\. There it has stood ever since