
@Joe 3, @AC 19.23
In effect you are describing project guttenberg for real life.
I love watching old films catching glimpses of how London was (Rank films are good cheap sources and old BBC DVD collections) In the latter case now, apparently, they CGI montage bits of London for drama series so the location is "nowhere"
sadly, my enjoyable moments include the very beginning of "The Eagle Has Landed" where the schloss is actually Somerset House and you can see a bit of it that has subsequently been wrapped in scaffolding seemingly permanently, Guinevere for views of London in the fifties, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, bits of west London, an extra in a Dr Who DVD showing the bits of London then (1964) and er, then (2002) for the filming of the Dalek invasion of Earth, a promotional video for the Jimi Hendrix Experience gives views of the South Bank in the sixties.
It's OK, I'll stop now
Mine's the one with a copy of Pevesner in the pocket