The original “London Eye”

On the last day of 1999, Tony Blair opened the London Eye on the South Bank.

But, just over 104 years earlier, another great Ferris wheel was opened in London – The Great Wheel

This was a 300ft tall wheel, which compares quite favourably with the 440ft diameter of the London Eye frankly considering that it was built a hundred years earlier.

Unlike the Eye though, it was not that popular and closed just 12 years later, in 1906 due to lack of customers.

http://www.photolondon.org.uk/whole_gallery/gnmr_wheel.htm