Burnt bread

The Tooley Street Fire broke out in Scovell's warehouse at Cotton's Wharf on 23 June 1861. The warehouse contained highly flammable materials including hemp, cotton, tallow and jute. Inside half an hour the fire had spread to neighbouring wharves and warehouses packed with goods, such as oil, paint, flour and grain. This is the burnt residue of bread stored in one of the warehouses.

The fire was fought by the London Fire Engine Establishment (LFEE), a fire brigade formed by 10 insurance companies in 1833. James Braidwood, Chief Office of the LFEE, was killed during the Tooley Street Fire when a wall collapsed upon him. The fire raged for 14 days before being brought under control. In 1862 the insurance companies announced that they would no longer fund the LFEE and in 1866 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade was established under the aegis of the Metropolitan Board of Works.