Lot 218: Harold Steggles , 1911-1971 old ford road, bow oil on board

signed l.l.: H. STEGGLES .; further signed and inscribed with the title on the reverse: OLD FORD ROAD, BOW./ H. STEGGLES. oil on board

28 by 35 cm.; 11 by 13 ¾ in.

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London, where bought by Sir David Scott in 1932 for 15 guineas

Old Ford Road in Bow is part of the ancient Roman thoroughfares of London. The ford crossed the River Lee at its most southerly point. It was in part superceded by the bridge at Bow, built by Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I. In the later nineteenth century the expansion of the city led to its farmland being developed and the North London Railway line had a station there. The line was discontinued after WWII but with the advent of the Olympics it is expected to reopen as part of Crossrail. The painting shows a mixture of houses, schools and what appears to be a shuttered pub.