The Albion Mills, the first great factory in London, formerly stood on the east side of Blackfriars Road, on the approach to Blackfriars Bridge. They were steam-powered mills, established in 1786 by Matthew Boulton & James Watt, featuring one of the first uses of Watt’s steam engines to drive machinery, and were designed by pioneering engineer John Rennie . The Mills were the ‘Industrial wonder’ of the time, quickly becoming a fashionable sight of the London scene. William Blake, the poet lived in Lambeth and he expressed the powerful mistrust of the growing industrial changes, and it’s thought that Albion Mills could have inspired his references to “dark Satanic mills”.
The millers of London , who still used windmills to grind their wheat, were badly affected by this new mill and many were put out of business.
Dark rumours were spread locally about the Albion Works that their flour was adulterated with all kinds of other ingredients and on 2 March 1791 Albion Mills suddenly burnt down. The cause was never officially discovered, but it was widely believed to be arson by local millers or millworkers, feeling their livelihood was under threat. It was reported that “the main cock of the water cistern was fastened, the hour of low tide was chosen” when the fire started…
The interior of the mills was totally destroyed in half an hour, the roof crashing in quickly. The fire could be seen for miles: burning grains and sparks blew all over the City and Westminster.
A huge crowd gathered and made no effort to save the Mills, but stood around watching in grim satisfaction, some even dancing!
Ballads were printed and sung on the spot and millers waved placards which read
“Success to the mills of ALBION but no Albion Mills.”
Original hand coloured aquatint engraving. Published by Rudolph Ackermann for Microcosm of London, 1808-1810.
Rudolph Ackermann established his print business in 1791. By 1797 the business had expanded into publishing books. As with the individual prints Ackermann chose to illustrate his books with uncoloured and hand coloured engraved aquatints. The process of creating a colour plate aquatint was labour intensive but the final result was an engraving that resembled a water colour. To achieve the desired quality, Ackermann employed a wide variety of talented artists and crafts men, including Thomas Rowlandson, Isaac Cruickshank, J C Stadler and Augustus Pugin. To create longevity into the business he established a school on the premises for gifted young artists.
Following his death the business continued into the late 19th century.
