Kings Cross Station Through Time

John Christopher brings together his stunning photography with archive images to tell the story of King's Cross, both above and below street level.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which St Pancras Station has changed and developed over the last century and a half.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Euston Station has changed and developed over the last century

Kings Cross station is one of Londons iconic buildings. Its tough, functional exterior is a prototype of modern architecture in the 20th Century, and stands in stark opposition to the neo-Gothic extravagance of its neighbour St Pancras. After many decades of partial-neglect, Kings Cross has finally received the renovation it has always deserved by John McAslan and Partners, the architects behind such notable projects as the Camden Roundhouse, the De La War Pavillion and Dalston Junction. With a fabulous new concourse and a painstaking restoration of original features hidden for far too long behind botched 1970s extensions, in March 2012, Kings Cross will be revealed in all its sparkling new (and old) glory. Discovering Kings Cross pays tribute to this magnificent building. Aimed at older children and adults, it brings the history and context of the station to life with fantastic illustration and collage by Lucy Dalzell, bright and accessible text by Jay Merrick, interactive elements throughout and a single, spectacular pop-up of the station by one of the most established paper engineers in the country.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Bloomsbury & Fitzrovia have changed and developed over the last century

‘A very readable history of the British way of life viewed through its homes’ Choice Magazine In recent years house histories have become the new frontier of popular, participatory history. People, many of whom have already embarked upon that great adventure of genealogical research, and who have encountered their ancestors in the archives and uncovered family secrets, are now turning to the secrets contained within the four walls of their homes and in doing so finding a direct link to earlier generations. And it is ordinary homes, not grand public buildings or the mansions of the rich, that have all the best stories. As with the television series, A House Through Time offers readers not only the tools to explore the histories of their own homes, but also a vividly readable history of the British city, the forces of industry, disease, mass transportation, crime and class. The rises and falls, the shifts in the fortunes of neighbourhoods and whole cities are here, tracing the often surprising journey one single house can take from an elegant dwelling in a fashionable district to a tenement for society’s rejects. Packed with remarkable human stories, David Olusoga and Melanie Backe-Hansen give us a phenomenal insight into living history, a history we can see every day on the streets where we live. And it reminds us that it is at home that we are truly ourselves. It is there that the honest face of life can be seen. At home, behind closed doors and drawn curtains, we live out our inner lives and family lives.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which the Hull to Bridlington Railway has changed and developed over the last century.

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Spalding has changed and developed over the last century.