A white-knuckle London tram ride

Here is an interesting magic lantern slide from my collection, continuing the tram theme from my last post.

What is happening here? All we know is that it’s a London tram, health and safety as a concept has yet to be invented and there is something worth looking at in the hole. I don’t know what the answer is but there are two likely scenarios. One is that the hole is the result of bomb damage and this is the solution to keeping the service running. The other is that they are building a Tube line using the ‘cut and cover’ method rather than tunnelling, as they often did for lines close to the surface. Whatever the truth, it’s a fascinating photograph which I use in the ‘caption competition’ part of my magic lantern shows. If you have an idea for a caption (my audiences have plenty), let me know.

If you found this interesting, please share it with your family and friends. If you’re not reading it on my ‘Magic Lantern World‘ website, then please visit. There are over one hundred illustrated articles about Victorian slide projection and links to my historical photo-booklets on Amazon, my Ebay shop for magic lantern slides and Etsy store for historical photo greetings cards with a twist. You can read about my authentic Victorian magic lantern shows and talks on ‘Optical entertainments before the movies’ and lots more!