1-154-880 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

'Fire in London', 1791. The building on fire was Albion Mills, a corn mill erected by Matthew Boulton at the foot of Blackfriars Bridge in 1786. The largest and best- equipped mill of its time, it was also the site of the first installation of steam power to drive machinery. The mill's destruction by fire also illustrates the fire-fighting teams of the day. Some eight manual Newsham fire engines are attempting to fight the flames, with others rushing to the scene from across the bridge. In the background is the River Thames and St Paul's cathedral on the opposite bank. From The Microcosm of London by Rudolph Ackermann.