Henry B. Wheatley (1838–1917) was a prolific writer, an energetic founder of societies, a keen student of London history, and a first-rate bibliographer. He was also an expert indexer, and because of his contributions to the subject he is sometimes called the 'father of British indexing'. He had a wide range of interests and founded the Samuel Pepys Club, the Library Association (now CILIP) and the Early English Text Society. He wrote two classics of indexing, What Is an Index? and How to Make an Index, as well as a three-volume history of London, called London Past and Present. (All of these titles are now available in the Cambridge Library Collection.) Published in 1870, this book is his historical journey through Piccadilly and Pall Mall, the 'court end of London'. It explores the characters, the buildings and the institutions that make up this history-packed area of the city.
