Big Ben

This is the 315 foot high clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. It was completed in 1858. It was originally named St. Stephen's Tower, was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. However, it is more commonly known as Big Ben which is actually the nickname for the enormous bell, originally called the Great Bell, which is installed in the tower. The nickname is thought to have been derived from Sir Benjamin Hall, Commissioner of Works at the time, but another theory is that it came from Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer of the 1850s. The clock which is also enormous is 23 feet in diameter. London, England. Scanned 35mm negative. (Eng 24021)