Lost Mansions of Mayfair

Mayfair, bounded by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane, took its name from a fair that was held for a fortnight every May, near today's Curzon Street, and was finally abandoned when a wave of housebuilding in the eighteenth century displaced it. Today Mayfair is probably London's most prestigious district, still retaining its 'town within a town' ambience. Although it is generally agreed that the architectural character of Mayfair is better preserved than that of many other areas of London, it has nevertheless experienced considerable redevelopment, especially during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For example, Grosvenor Square, now home to the Canadian and American embassies, has lost an incredible forty-seven historic houses since 1935, only three survive. This visually stunning and authoritative new book, by architectural historian Oliver Bradbury, showcases many of the most important lost buildings - some well remembered and much missed, others completely forgotten. A huge range of illustrations, many paired as 'past and present', document the changing scene. "The Lost mansions of Mayfair" is an addition to the published history of London that will be welcomed by Londoners and those with an interest in architectural history alike.