Abraham Wivell

After working as a hairdresser, Wivell established himself as a society portrait painter before concentrating his efforts on fire safety measures.

Born in Marylebone, London, Wivell was forced to work from an early age after his father died leaving his mother in poverty.

[2] A drawing he created of Caroline of Brunswick, wife of King George IV, appealed to the queen herself, who gave Wivell a personal sitting.

When she was put of trial for adultery in the House of Lords, Wivell sneaked in among the lawyers and made sketches of the leading figures involved.

[4] Unfortunately, Wivell lost a great deal on money on the venture, as the cost of printing such a richly illustrated work far exceeded the sales.

[2] However, he was saved financially by the death of his uncle, Abram Wivell of Camden Town, who left him his house and furniture and an lifetime annuity of £100.

In 1836 the "Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire" was created with Wivell in charge of developing techniques for helping people escape from burning buildings.

A rescued person could be quickly passed down through a canvas chute that hung below the ladder, allowing a rapid flow of escapees.