In the early 19th century landowner James Ladbroke began to develop his Notting Hill estate into a carefully planned suburb. He hoped to attract wealthy Londoners to move to the area. His development included crescents of large terraced houses with communal garden areas or ‘pleasure grounds’. These houses were mainly inhabited by upper middle class families who had servants. The area also became popular with artistic and cultural elites of London. Notting Hill was subsequently featured in a number of late 19th and early 20th century works.

Read more to watch a film of Rosmead Garden in 1929, sent to the Ladbroke Society from the grandson of the filmmaker, L. Banay.