Het hedendaagsche Londen De Aarde en haar Volken, 1907

In the pale hush of four‑a‑morrow, London awakens like a reluctant giant. Gas lamps flicker as horse‑drawn wagons rumble past cobbled lanes, while a lone motorcar sputters its way toward the bustling boroughs. Policemen’s lanterns drift from doorways, casting soft circles over quiet alleys, and a solitary night‑wanderer pauses at a fountain, his thoughts echoing the city’s restless pulse.

Soon the streets fill with the clatter of post carts, milk‑men’s vans, and the rhythmic clang of trams returning from the south side of the Thames. Markets burst into colour; stalls in Bow Street overflow with fresh flowers, their scent mingling with the brisk air. Workers in crumpled collars hustle to their trades, while idle onlookers watch with a mix of envy and amusement. The early London of 1907 lives in a delicate balance of industry and imagination, inviting listeners to step into its foggy, lamp‑lit mornings.