Wenceslaus Hollar, a Bohemian artist, came to prominence in England in the mid-seventeenth century through his connection with the Earl of Arundel who had taken him into his service when passing through Cologne on an embassy to the Imperial diet at Regensburg in 1636. Hollar returned to England with the Earl of Arundel at the end of that year and began to produce plates commercially from 1639 onwards. The River Thames was a subject in which Hollar delighted. This view of London Bridge is to scale but it is intended to be seen as a picture. It does not include any labels or inscriptions. It illustrates how ships could not pass beyond the old bridge and so all large ship activity had to take place to the east of the bridge. It also illustrates exactly how important London Bridge was to the city. Until the mid 18th century it was the only way one could cross the Thames and connected the two parts of the city.

This lithograph by is a copy of the original engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar. Martin also produced a much larger hand coloured panorama, also copied from Hollar, in 1832. It seems to suggest not only an interest in topographical history in the 19th century but also a passion for and pride in the city of London which at that time was one of the largest, richest and most powerful on the globe.