When founded in 1826, London was a frontier outpost surrounded by dense forest. Nearly 100 years later, that once-humble village had transformed into a burgeoning metropolis—a national leader in industry, culture, and education.

Featuring never-before-seen photographs from Museum London's Orr Collection, Early London 1826-1914 tells the story of the city's dramatic, remarkable rise. With chapters on architecture, industry, sports, and daily life, this stunning visual history captures London's rapid development into the unofficial capital of Western Ontario. From the introduction of the city's first electric streetcar to the construction of the Normal School, the bustle of early garment factories to the free-wheeling fun of primitive 'bicycle clubs,' the book highlights those Victorians who built London—rich and poor, young and old—at work and play.

Providing the reader with an extraordinary collection of historic photographs and sketches, historian Jennifer Grainger unearths the roots of the modern Forest City, offering a new perspective on one of Canada's most important, foundational urban communities. Meticulously researched, beautifully curated, and handsomely designed, Early London is destined to become a must-have book for local history lovers.

Jennifer Grainger has been researching vanished villages in Middlesex County for the past seven years, using old news articles, maps, county directories and interviewing modern residents of the villages. An archaeologist by training from the Universities of Toronto and London, England, she has also written chapters for Middlesex township histories. A travel agent by profession, researching and preserving southwestern Ontario's past remains her passion. Jenny lives in London with her dog Sandy, several African violets and hundreds of books.

Jennifer Grainger's profile page

Jennifer Grainger has a Master of Arts in Archaeology from the University of London, UK, and a Master of Library and Information Science from Western University, London, Ontario. She is the Past President of the London & Middlesex Historical Society and Vice President of the London branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. Author of Vanished Villages of Middlesex and Vanished Villages of Elgin (Dundurn Press), she also edited Honouring Our Roots: Delaware and Westminster Townships.