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Strictly non-fiction, this is, as the title suggests, a chronological history of Mayfair starting from 1664. This particular year seems to coincide with the building of Clarendon House, one of the first palaces built in Mayfair. Just a few years before that, “all of Mayfair was fields. And not particularly lovely fields, either.” It was just “a patch of boggy land to the west of London.” (These days, Mayfair is in central London, as the city has grown exponentially since that time.) The area was not known as Mayfair until 1686, when King James II granted permission for a fair to be held in the area in, you guessed it, the month of May. This “May Fair” was held in the area for 78 years, and was a rather rowdy, raucous affair.
The book is divided into eight chapters, each discussing a distinct period in the history of Mayfair. The titles of each chapter encapsulate the particular vicissitudes peculiar to that specific era. These shifts in economy, architecture, residents, etc., are referred to as “step changes.” For example, chapter one is entitled “Step Change 1: 1660s-1720s. From Mud to Mansions.” Chapter 4 is “Step Change 4: 1918-1939. Aristocracy in Decline.” The last few pages are dedicated to predictions of what Mayfair will be like in the next 15 years or so, with a very bullish outlook on the residential real estate market.
We see the gradual evolution of Mayfair, from a muddy field to the most exclusive residential area of the city available to only the very wealthy (at one point there were no less than 117 titled homeowners in Mayfair) to the loss of much of that wealth and the subsequent demolition of many of the old mansions once inhabited by aristocrats and plutocrats. There are interesting photos or artists' renderings of several of those long-gone mansions. Afterward, Mayfair became a place of business, with office space taking over most of the old residential acreage. But the current trend seems to be the resurgence of a high-end residential neighborhood. (An "entry-level, one-bedroom flat" recently sold for almost £1 million!)
Complementing the chronological structure of the book is a running timeline at the bottom of most of the pages. The noted events are not related only to Mayfair, but many significant world events are mentioned, such as the start of the American Civil War in 1861, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the Wall Street crash of 1929, Yuri Gagarin's trip into space in 1961, and even the opening of the Playboy Club in London in 1966!
The book is liberally illustrated. There are artist’s renderings, photos, and maps. Illustrations of some type are found on every page. Each event in the aforementioned timeline has its own illustration. Some of these illustrations, particularly the maps, are difficult to decipher. Examining them in detail on my iPad proved fruitless, as the reproductions are rather poor. And some photographs of people are, inexplicably, reproduced in negative form! It must be stated, however, that the book is very well laid out and designed. It is a good-looking publication, very colorful, eye-pleasing, professionally done, and I did not find one typographical or grammatical error. These days that’s rather rare and, may I say, quite refreshing.
This book is for a niche market. For those not familiar with London (or British history), the mention of various locales, streets, dukes, earls, etc., will be meaningless. And the final chapters of the book discuss specific people and corporations that have moved into Mayfair, with the costs and square footage of several properties mentioned. Again, for those not familiar with Mayfair or with the real estate market there, these details won’t mean much and can get rather tedious. It must be said the publisher of the book is a real estate firm with an apparent vested interest in the Mayfair market. Perhaps this is one reason for the very optimistic view of the future of Mayfair.(One of the authors, Peter Wetherell, has worked in Mayfair for over 40 years and says the next ten years will be "the biggest step change in residential for nearly a century" and he is looking forward to “increasing the percentage of residents in the area.” No doubt.)
Overall, The Story of Mayfair from 1664 Onwards is an interesting look at the history of Mayfair and the ebb and flow and ups and downs of that particular part of London over the past three and a half centuries. As expected, it focuses primarily on buildings and not people. It’s not a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat; you’ll put it down and pick it up a few hours or a few days later and continue reading. But considering the limited scope of the book, it does exactly what it is supposed to do. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
***
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