How I long for a return to the origins that made The London Dungeon so special.
When it first creaked open it's doors many years ago, it was truly shocking! Treading the fine line of decency. The waxwork equivalent to the Video Nasty of the time. Arguably only remaining open due to the historic accuracy of it's exhibits. History should not be sanitised. The London Dungeon offered a unique perspective on the darkest side of our past. It was also a valuable lesson in how society has learnt to deal with crime and punishment. But, the real reason for visiting the London Dungeon was for the thrill. A right of passage; to force yourself to come face to face with the horror of the past. The darkness all around you. The smell of burning flesh in your nostrils. This was in the days of Pandemonium and Satan worship within, real lighted church candles and the water dripping on your head was not so much part of the exhibit as part of the structure of the railway arches the Dungeon sat within.
In those early days there was no rush. You walked through the maze of exhibits at your own pace. Took your own photographs and *Teasered your friends for fun. This was long before the change in management that tried to Disneyfy the whole thing with rollercoaster's and forced walking tours to ensure visitors were processed through the system as efficiently as possible before being thrown back onto the street via the souvenir shop.

This booklet from the eighties shows several of the exhibits interspersed with many line drawings explaining the various tortures as well as many historical photos to accompany the texts.

*(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) ( )