London has evolved incredibly since it was merely a series of villages spanning the length of the Thames.
But during the 18th century, shortly before the industrial revolution, the city was far grittier, and yet some would describe it as far more regal.
These amazing pictures, shared on the social networking site Reddit, show how the city of London today compares to the 18th century, using famous paintings of famous landmarks from that era from artists such as Canaletto compared with images of the same landmarks today from Google Street View.
Google Street View meets the 18th century: Amazing pictures of Britain's most famous landmarks with historic oil paintings superimposed show how streets from the past would look today
London has evolved incredibly since it was merely a series of villages spanning the length of the Thames.
But during the 18th century, shortly before the industrial revolution, the city was far grittier, and yet some would describe it as far more regal.
Some building were in their infancy, and recent developments have added to them, making them far larger and more imposing.
Other buildings, like St Paul's Cathedral, have been dwarfed by developments around them, whereas once they were the tallest for miles around (St Paul's Cathedral was London's tallest building from 1710 until 1962).
Some tourist attractions and common features that feel old to us today, like Covent Garden marketplace, did not even exist.
These amazing pictures, shared on the social networking site Reddit, show how the city of London compares to the 18th century, using famous paintings from that era, compared with images from Google Street View.
Covent Garden Market by Balthazar Nebot (1737) - Covent Garden Market, built in the 1660s, was the first open square of its kind in London. In 1737, when Nebot made this work, the square was notorious as a red light district. The Market Hall only came later, in 1830
The 9th of November, 1888 by William Logsdail (1890) - A Lord Mayor's Procession passes through Bank Junction in Logsdail's painting. On the left side of the canvas is The Old Bank of England, captured here 50 years before demolition
Northumberland House by Canaletto (1752)- Northumberland House, to the south side of Trafalgar Square, stood from 1605 to 1874. Northumberland House was a large Jacobean townhouse in London. It was the London residence of the Percy family, who were the Earls and later Dukes of Northumberland, one of England's richest and most prominent aristocratic dynasties for many centuries. It was demolished to make way for a road. Now it hosts a Waterstones bookshop
Blackman Street London by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1885) The church pictured is St George the Martyr. Today, Blackman Street is called Borough High Street and offers a view of the Shard, the biggest spire you'll see looking north-east
The Strand Looking East from Exeter Exchange by Anonymous (1822) - The Strand has been through many changes; it has been demolished and widened and replaced. Most of the buildings on the right of the painting have gone. Strand is one of London's major thoroughfares, and the name was first recorded in 1002 as 'strondway', later in 1185 as 'Stronde' and in 1220 as la Stranda. It is formed from the Old English word 'strand', meaning shore
Westminster Abbey with a Procession of Knights of the Bath by Canaletto (1749) - In 1749, Westminster Palace as we know it today was not yet built. MPs were still using the Abbey's Chamber to have Commons meetings. The Knights (seen here in red) are now known as the Most Honorourable Order of the Bath
A View of Greenwich from the River by Canaletto (1750 - 52) - The view of Greenwich from the river remains mostly unchanged - minus a few sail boats. The Thames is still a major river for shipping, but thanks to increased and streamlined travel links, it is rarely used in the same capacity it was back in the 18th century
The River Thames with St. Paul's Cathedral on Lord Mayor's Day by Canaletto (1746) - The Millennium Bridge is now on this stretch of the Thames, but in 1746 St Paul's, completed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1710 after the previous one was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1666, stood alone in dominating London's skyline. It was London's tallest building for more than 200 years
View of The Grand Walk by Canaletto (1751) - The Pleasure Gardens in Vauxhall, seen in this Canaletto painting, hosted music and live entertainment during the 1600s. (It is also where Amelia's brother Joseph gets drunk in Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair)
St. Martin in the Fields by William Logsdail (1888 ) - St Martin in the Fields church is situated on the opposite side of Trafalgar Square to Northumberland House. Pictured is a market to the right of the picture. In the 18th century, street markets were much more prolific as traffic was limited to horse and carriage
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