This card marks the real turning point of house-building, for it shows the Great Fire of London, which ripped through the timber and plaster buildings leaving but few survivors, not even St. Paul's Cathedral being spared .
When the flames had finally died down, there was the certain knowledge that there could no longer be such conflagration. And the solution was to build houses, and indeed all buildings, in brick. Not just that, but to widen the streets, because the flames easily leapt across the former narrow streets, where the top storeys of the houses often almost touched. In truth, to build a new Capital City from the literal ashes of the old one, using fire resistant materials like brick for the walls and tiles for the roof, and removing all traces of combustible ones like wood and straw.
Some thirteen thousand homes were completely rebuilt in under five years, and public buildings too, including a brand new St, Paul`s Cathedral;.
And it also led to something else, the first ever private home insurances, against fire, with the introduction of the "fire mark", indisputable proof that the house holder had paid up.
Unfortunately i will have to get new glasses before I can tell you about the set, mine are hopefully at the lost property office, along with my bag. At the moment I am struggling on with a magnifying glass, not very well, , but if mine do not turn up in two days I will get some new ones on Monday - and replace the other contents of the same bag too.