Rations, poverty…but still the joy of victory: Fascinating black and white photos offer a glimpse inside the lives of people in London’s East End just after World War II
The stunning images show the carefree lives of those living in London in the 1950s
A FASCINATING series of black and white photos show the everyday lives of people living in post-war London's East End.
The stunning images show the carefree lives of children playing in the street, women shopping at a flea market and a group of teenagers smoking outside a newsagents.
Others show a man getting a ship tattoo right across his chest and a chimney sweep posing proudly next to his cart.
The charming pictures are set against the backdrop of the Queen's coronation in 1953 as Union Jack bunting adorns the streets.
And they have been released in a new book called Nigel Henderson's Streets: Photographs of London's East End.
The book showcases photographer and artist Nigel's work and many of the pictures have never been published before.
Clive Coward, who edited the book said: "The images of the East End convey a number of messages not just of the area at the time, but also of Henderson.
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“The images show an area in London at a specific moment and only for a short space of time.
“They show an area getting back to normality after the ravages of war and aerial bombardment, they show the daily lives of the working-class people of the area.
“Importantly these photographs do not show depravity or poverty as was such a trait of photographs of the East End, but show a level of joy and happiness within the area and community as people got back to a normal life after the war.
Nigel was an artist, photographer and art teacher who had a strong influence on British art in the 1950s.
Clive added: "The images showed an active community, a community living, and a community that he was increasingly becoming involved in.
“The aim of this publication is to highlight just one aspect of Nigel Henderson’s varied artistic career and provided it with its own platform.
“The images speak as much about the East End of London as they do about Henderson himself.”
Nigel Henderson's Streets: Photographs of London's East End 1949-153 is available on Amazon.
The fascinating pictures come just days after harrowing black and white photos showed the horrific living conditions in 1940s Glasgow.
Meanwhile, rare First World War pictures have emerged showing British troops on the front line blasting the enemy with tanks for the first time.