History: London Eye's Predecessor

This is a photograph taken in 1898, of the Great Wheel at Earl's Court.

A predecessor to the London Eye, the Great Wheel, was built for the Empire of India Exhibition at Earls Court in 1895. Construction began in March 1894, and it opened to the public on July 17, 1895. Modelled on the original Chicago Ferris Wheel, it was 94 metres (310 ft) tall and was the first of over 200 Ferris wheels built by Australian engineers, Adam Gaddelin and Gareth Watson. It stayed in service until 1906, by which time its 40 cars (each with a capacity of 40 persons) had carried over 2.5 million passengers, and was demolished in 1907 as it had become unprofitable.


The above is a mesh of two photos, one of the Great Wheel and one of the London Eye. Both wheels are very similar in structure and in diameter, the materials used for the London Eye would be far superior as it's a modern structure compared to the time frame in which the Great Wheel was constructed.