Opening of public drinking fountain

#Picture Number SO169

Your download illustration: a standard jpeg greyscale image file (around 3mb) see about for more details.

Victorian illustration to download showing a picture of the ceremony at the opening of London’s first public drinking fountain, 1859. A large crowd has gathered and flags are flying. A woman is drinking the first goblet of water as part of the ceremony. She was Mrs Wilson, daughter of the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the ceremony, the local vicar said: ‘The material comfort of the poor and hard-working portion of the people will be promoted by these means.’ The fountain was supplied with filtered water by the New River Company.