Buckingham Palace: Buckingham Palace from St James's Park. Showing the south walls of Buckingham Palace and Marble Arch. Finished with hand colouring.

Thomas Shotter Boys first served as an apprentice in London under the engraver George Cooke and was soon absorbed by this gifted family of artists and engravers. Shotter Boys then moved to Paris, and in 1839 had his first major work published by his cousin Thomas Boys in London. In 1842 Shotter Boys issued his next major work, Original Views of London As It Is… with many of his plates personalised with allusions to or puns of his name; of particular note is the view of the Tower and the Mint with the two fat boys who became John Tenniel’s inspiration for Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Depicting an unusually tranquil Metropolis, London As It Is… remains one of the most desirable representations of early Victorian London available today.