Book reveals 600 previously unseen photographs of 1930s London

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 07:08 · Archive

A new book published on 5 November contains more than 600 previously unseen black and white photographs of London from the 1930s, curated by historian Steven Brindle.

A new book titled Britain in the 1930s, published by Atlantic on 5 November, contains more than 600 previously unseen black and white photographs of London from that decade. The images were curated by historian Steven Brindle and provide a unique view of life in the capital at a time of striking contrasts.

The photographs show London during a period marked by a mix of traditional Victorian streetscapes and Art Deco buildings, alongside an increase in car traffic and growing reliance on the London Underground network. The decade saw rapid suburban expansion, with the outer edges of London growing whilst central populations declined. Cinemas, West End theatres and jazz clubs drew crowds seeking to escape the economic hardships of the Great Depression and the looming threat of war.

The book's images include scenes of crowds sunning themselves at Tower Beach in August 1935, frozen fountains in Trafalgar Square, boys using an automatic ice cream machine at Waterloo Station, bustling streets outside the Old Bailey after the Lord Mayor's parade, and a fashionable couple strolling down Oxford Street. The photographs capture daily life in the capital in the decade before the Second World War.

How it is being reported

• Unseen photographs of lost London reveal bygone scenes of 1930s life in the capitalBritain in the 1930s a new book reveals more than 600 photos of UK life including London curated by historian Steven Brindle.Croydon Guardian · 11 Oct, 06:00
• Unseen photographs of lost London reveal bygone scenes of 1930s life in the capitalBritain in the 1930s a new book reveals more than 600 photos of UK life including London curated by historian Steven Brindle.News Shopper · 11 Oct, 06:00
• Unseen photographs of lost London reveal bygone scenes of 1930s life in the capitalBritain in the 1930s a new book reveals more than 600 photos of UK life including London curated by historian Steven Brindle.This Is Local London · 11 Oct, 06:00
• Unseen photographs of lost London reveal bygone scenes of 1930s life in the capitalBritain in the 1930s a new book reveals more than 600 photos of UK life including London curated by historian Steven Brindle.Wandsworth Guardian · 11 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Steven Brindle · Atlantic · London · Tower Beach · Trafalgar Square · Waterloo Station · Oxford Street

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