2-798-987 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Railway Room, Office of the Board of Trade, 1845. Plans are deposited at the Board of Trade in London. 'The method adopted for the reception of the documents was as follows. The parties charged with their delivery were admitted to the lobby of the office of the Board of Trade, where they entered the name of the agents for whom they were concerned, in a book provided for that purpose. The name was then passed to an official, who conveyed the same to the inner office, where it was entered by the clerks. The several parties were then successively called in, to describe the names and titles of their respective plans. A good deal of amusement was caused by the similarity of names amongst the agents, particularly when any gentleman of the name of Smith was wanted. At every such call, there were at least half-a-dozen respondents...'. From "Illustrated London News", 1845, Vol VII.