Goad (Charles Edward)

, , 1940.
an updated, wartime, insurance plan, resurveyed and reissued in July, 1940. It shows the area to the north of the Barbican, between Aldersgate Street and Goswell Road on the left, and Golden Lane on the right, with Beech Street below. It is centred on Bridgewater Square and Fann Street, but much of the area has radically altered. Now largely dominated by residential apartments and offices surrounding green spaces, it was then a hive of commercial and manufacturing activity, notably furriers, milliners and leather goods.

Charles E. Goad (1848-1910) was born in Camberwell, London, but later emigrated to Canada. He trained as a civil engineer and cartographer, combining these skills to found his eponymous company in Montreal, in 1875, to produce detailed urban street plans. These identified each building, the materials from which they were constructed, and their usage, all to enable insurance companies and any other attendant services to assess their fire risk. He returned to London in 1885 to provide the same service for the capital, as well as for numerous other towns and cities around the UK and overseas. As the plans had to be regularly updated to record changes to buildings or their usage, sheets already in circulation would have amendments pasted on. This later example, however, comes from a large residual collection of previously uncirculated plans, hence their near-pristine condition, compared to signs of handling over many years that affect most examples found. Please enquire about other areas which may be available..
630 by 530mm (24¾ by 20¾ inches).