A remarkable collection of century-old glass slides from the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society reveals the vanished markets of old London. The photographs, originally used for educational magic lantern shows, document bustling commercial hubs like Clare Market, Billingsgate, and Covent Garden during their heyday. These images capture not just architectural spaces but the human energy of London's trading culture.

Many of these markets have disappeared entirely - Clare Market was demolished in 1905 to create Kingsway and Aldwych, while Whitechapel Hay Market and Caledonian Road Market exist only in these photographs. Others have transformed significantly: Billingsgate, Covent Garden, and Spitalfields Fruit & Vegetable Market moved to new premises, while Leadenhall retains just one butcher from its former glory as a poultry cathedral. The collection offers a window into the elaborate hierarchies and social codes that defined market life, where porters and traders developed distinct languages and collective personalities.

These photographs reveal markets as more than economic exchanges - they were theaters of cultural endeavor where commerce, community, and human drama intersected. From the fly-pitchers of Brick Lane to the flower markets of Bethnal Green, the images capture the quickening atmosphere that still defines London's market culture today, preserving the self-respect and purposeful activity of traders whose livelihoods depended on these historic spaces.