From an age when retail therapy demanded money and ahem manners. the new Exeter ‘Change (Exchange) on the Strand in London boasted the so-called refined offerings of the 17th and 18th centuries, including millinery, hosiery and dressmaking. The edifice appeared in 1676 and soared up for several floors, all on the site of the former residence of the Earls of Exeter, hence its name. From the start ‘it was in no sense externally beautiful, being designed wholly and solely for business purposes...It appears to have passed through several phases of existence during the last two centuries. It is said by Malcolm to have been built, as it stood till lately,. about the tune of William and Mary, by a Dr. Barbon "a speculator in houses," who mortgaged it to the Duke of Devonshire and Sir Francis Child. In 1708 the lower storey comprised forty-eight shops…’ (Beswick). Its uppermost space housed a menagerie, displaying big cats, monkeys, reptiles, even elephants, all kept in small cages. This ‘visitor attraction’ was joined by musical and theatrical performances as shopping and commerce gave way to ‘entertainment’ including, incredibly, an 18ft high bed that visitors paid half a crown just to view! Later it served on at least two occasions as a morgue – the poet Gay and the eccentric Lord Baltimore laid in state ahead of their respective funerals. The building’s eventual demise and demolition came in 1829 - a welcome if belated blessing to those seeking an end to cruel offerings so at odds with the elegance and splendour on display in the present image. The very site is now occupied by the truly stylish Strand Palace Hotel. *License this image for full commercial use for just £10 per project #history #authors #scanned #creatives #art #drawings #architecture #people #londonlife #places #lostlondon