£795.00
An original 1894 printed commemorative programme for the royal opening of Tower Bridge, featuring portraits of the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, a contemporary view of the bridge and the detailed itinerary of the historic opening ceremony. A remarkable survival of Victorian London ephemera, framed and glazed.
Original Victorian silk programme, printed to commemorate the ceremonial opening of Tower Bridge by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 30 June 1894.
Printed in black and red upon cream silk, the programme is headed “Opening of the Tower Bridge by the Prince & Princess of Wales”, above a striking central composition showing the newly completed Tower Bridge flanked by portrait illustrations of the Prince and Princess of Wales — the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Below, under “Official Programme”, is printed a remarkably detailed account of the royal procession: the departure from Marlborough House at 11.15; the five carriages escorted by the Life Guards; the route through Pall Mall, the Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, St Paul’s Churchyard and Cheapside; the joining of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs; the assembled members of the Royal Family; the crossing and recrossing of Tower Bridge; and the Royal Salute fired from the Tower Guns.
Surrounded by an elaborate decorative border printed in red.
Approximately 390 × 380 mm. The silk shows characteristic age toning, old folds and creasing, scattered marking and a tear to the right-hand side, with further minor wear commensurate with its age and inherently fragile textile format. Preserved beneath glass within a gilt frame with broad rust-coloured mount.
Title: Opening of the Tower Bridge by the Prince & Princess of Wales — Official Programme
Date: 30 June 1894
Edition: Original commemorative silk programme / playbill
Place: London
Format: Printed silk playbill or commemorative programme, approximately 390 × 380 mm; framed and glazed
On 30 June 1894, London celebrated the completion of one of the greatest engineering projects of the Victorian age.
After eight years of construction, Tower Bridge was formally opened by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, accompanied by his wife Alexandra, Princess of Wales. They would later become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
This silk programme was produced for that historic occasion.
Rather than merely commemorating Tower Bridge after its completion, it records the ceremony as it was intended to unfold that day. The procession begins at Marlborough House and travels through the heart of Victorian London before reaching the new bridge, where members of the Royal Family, civic dignitaries and military units assembled for the opening.
The programme even records the ceremonial details: the royal carriages, Life Guards, presentation of flowers to the Princess of Wales, crossing and recrossing of the bridge and the Royal Salute from the guns of the Tower.
Printed silk programmes and playbills occupy a fascinating position in nineteenth-century material culture. Produced for important theatrical, royal and civic occasions, they transformed an otherwise ephemeral programme into a decorative souvenir worthy of preservation.
Few Victorian engineering projects became as internationally recognisable as Tower Bridge. This surviving silk programme therefore represents something particularly evocative: a contemporary souvenir from the day London first celebrated the opening of what would become one of its defining landmarks.
An unusual combination of Victorian silk printing, royal memorabilia and London history, directly associated with the opening of Tower Bridge.
Unlike later commemorative material, this is a contemporary programme recording the actual royal procession and ceremonial arrangements for 30 June 1894.
Its silk format substantially enhances its appeal. Nineteenth-century silk playbills and programmes were produced as special commemorative objects, yet their delicate textile construction means survival over more than 130 years was never assured.
The portraits of the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, together with the central depiction of the newly completed Tower Bridge, also give the piece exceptional visual presence.
For a collection concerned with London, Victorian Britain, royalty, historic architecture, engineering or nineteenth-century silk playbills, it represents a highly distinctive historical artefact.
