The Covent Garden Market started in 1835 when a patent was issued for a “public fair or mart” held in Richmond, Dundas, and King Streets. The Market found a permanent home in 1845 after city business owners gave land near Richmond, Dundas, and King Streets. Farmers would sell their wares on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The main floor was covered in sawdust, and shoppers could choose meat from many different butchers. Buyers and sellers mingled outside, bargaining over wares ranging from trinkets and wild raspberries to kitten litters.
From the beginning of the 20th century until well after World War I, the Market was without question the business and cultural center of the city. After the advent of the automobile, the time-honored tradition of visiting the Market began to decline. A group of nine businessmen formed the Covent Garden Building Inc. in 1955 to replace the old Market building, and in 1958 the new building was completed. There were four levels of parking and a traditional market on the main floor.
The historical photographs show hundreds of market porters who transported many types of garden products from the market buildings to the end buyers, often carrying baskets on their heads.
