Western House & Embassy Court

Sometimes one can recognise to a few inches where a photo was taken from. At least 99 years separate these two views taken from the bandstand.  The top view shows the detached Regency villa, Western House, built in the 1830's. In 1919 William Wardorf Astor, the first Viscount Astor, died there.  It was demolished in 1930 and replaced in 1935 by Embassy Court, but apart from this, changes in the scene are few. 

In the top photo the Peace statue had yet to be erected in 1912 . In the 2011 photo it can be seen that the cast-iron lamp post is now sporting twin ornate electric lanterns which were added in the 1930's. It seems somewhat ironic that, at the time the modernist Embassy Court was being built, street furniture was being "up-dated' in the style of a bygone age.

Earlier post: Western House