Aerial Study Reveals The Extent of 1936 Crystal Palace Fire
The magnificent glass structure of the Crystal Palace dominated South London and North Croydon from 1854 until it was destroyed by fire in 1936.
The fire which engulfed the massive building was one of the largest ever seen in the South of England.
Nearly half the strength of London's Fire Brigade were drafted in to fight the huge blaze, consisting of 89 fire engines and 381 firemen.
The flames at the time reached a height of 300 feet and the blaze was visible from as far away as Brighton.
The top picture shows the Palace in all its glory, the lower picture shows an aerial view of the ruins taken the following morning.
The two water towers survived but were demolished early in the Second World War as it was thought that they were too prominent a landmark for German bombers.
These pictures were taken from the local history publication, Croydon from Above, a book of aerial pictures of the borough between 1870 and 1999, edited by John Gent and Tom Samsom.